A federal judge in Minnesota issued an injunction restricting tactics by U.S. immigration agents deployed to Minneapolis, barring retaliation against peaceful protesters and observers. The order prohibits arrests or detentions without reasonable suspicion and forbids use of pepper spray, tear gas and similar munitions on peaceful demonstrators and bystanders who are recording enforcement actions. The deployment — announced at 2,000 agents and since expanded to nearly 3,000 — drew heightened scrutiny after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good.
Judge Limits Immigration Agents' Tactics in Minneapolis After Mass Deployment and Fatal Shooting
A protestor leads a chant at a demonstration against increased immigration enforcement outside a hotel that demonstrators believe is being used by federal agents, after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S., January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday issued an injunction restricting tactics used by U.S. immigration agents who were deployed en masse to the Minneapolis area, curbing how officers may act toward peaceful observers and protesters monitoring enforcement activity.
What the Order Says
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued the injunction, which:
- Bars federal agents from retaliating against individuals engaged in peaceful, non‑obstructive protest activity.
- Prohibits arresting or detaining peaceful protesters or people conducting orderly observations unless officers have reasonable suspicion that the individual has committed a crime or is actively interfering with law enforcement.
- Bans the use of pepper spray, tear gas and other crowd‑control munitions against peaceful demonstrators or bystanders who are observing and recording immigration enforcement operations.
Background and Context
The ruling comes nearly two weeks after the Trump administration announced the deployment of 2,000 immigration agents to the Minneapolis area — an operation the Department of Homeland Security described as its largest of its kind. The number of agents on the ground, including personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, has since grown to nearly 3,000, a force that outnumbers many local police contingents in the Twin Cities metro area.
Tensions surrounding the deployment intensified after an ICE agent fatally shot 37‑year‑old mother of three Renee Good while she was behind the wheel of her car in January. Good had been taking part in neighborhood patrols organized by local activists to monitor ICE activity.
Significance
Activists who organized and participated in neighborhood monitoring welcomed the injunction as a protection for the rights of peaceful observers and demonstrators. The order aims to limit aggressive crowd‑control tactics and preserve the ability of community members to record and witness federal enforcement actions without fear of retaliation.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Minneapolis; additional reporting by Daniel Trotta and Nate Raymond; writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; editing by Edwina Gibbs.)
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