Judge Bars Some ICE Tactics in Minnesota as Protests Continue, DOJ Probes State Leaders
A federal judge barred ICE agents from arresting peaceful protesters and using crowd-control munitions in Minnesota, after two ICE shootings and amid a DOJ probe.
Overview
US District Judge Katherine Menendez issued a preliminary injunction Friday restricting agents in Operation Metro Surge from arresting or retaliating against peaceful protesters in Minnesota.
The order bars use of pepper spray, tear gas and similar nonlethal munitions and forbids stopping drivers without reasonable articulable suspicion of interference.
Rallies intensified after ICE agent shootings including the fatal January killing of Renee Good and a subsequent shooting that wounded a Venezuelan man, fueling nightly protests.
Dozens of activists sued to obtain the injunction; separately Minnesota and Twin Cities municipalities have sued to halt what they call a federal invasion during the surge.
The DOJ is reportedly investigating Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for possible obstruction of federal agents, even as DHS defends the surge and vows to protect officers.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Minneapolis enforcement as an escalatory, heavy-handed federal intrusion that erodes civil‑rights and community trust. They foreground on‑the‑ground eyewitness accounts, legal advocates and policing experts, emphasize racialized stops and tactical excess, and juxtapose terse administration defenses to create a narrative of federal overreach and public harm.
Sources (45)
FAQ
Operation Metro Surge is an ongoing ICE operation started in December 2025 targeting illegal immigrants in Minnesota, particularly the Twin Cities, involving over 2,000 DHS agents for deportations and fraud investigations amid reports of aggressive tactics.
History
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