Appeals Court Pauses Limits on Immigration Agents' Tactics in Minnesota; Maine Denies CBP Plate Request
The 8th Circuit stayed a judge's order limiting immigration agents' force in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge; Maine denied CBP's request for confidential license plates.
Overview
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court granted an administrative stay of Judge Kate Menendez's injunction that had barred pepper spray, nonlethal munitions and arrests of peaceful protesters in Minneapolis.
DHS has deployed thousands for 'Operation Metro Surge,' begun in early December; Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino says over 10,000 arrests in Minnesota, including 3,000 in recent weeks.
Federal grand jury subpoenas were served on Minnesota state and local officials; a PAC linked to former Vice President Kamala Harris urged donations to Gov. Tim Walz's defense fund.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows refused CBP's request for confidential license plates, citing past 'abuses of power'; Portland schools briefly locked doors amid enforcement concerns.
An ACLU suit led to Menendez's order after alleged retaliatory arrests; plaintiffs report detentions like Susan Tincher's; DOJ appealed while prosecutors challenge bond and detention decisions.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story with a rights-centered narrative: they foreground the judge's injunction, plaintiff testimony and civil‑liberties context (e.g., the ACLU suit and Cato Institute data) while still publishing government rebuttals. Plaintiff quotes like "on the ground in handcuffs" are source content used to dramatize incidents, not editorial language.
Sources (10)
FAQ
Operation Metro Surge is a DHS immigration enforcement operation launched in early December targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota, resulting in over 10,000 arrests including violent criminals and gang members.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court granted an administrative stay of Judge Kate Menendez's injunction, which had barred ICE agents from using pepper spray, nonlethal munitions, and arresting peaceful protesters in Minneapolis.
The 'worst of the worst' are 212 individuals out of over 2,000 arrests, including 103 violent criminals (48.5% of this group), with smaller numbers of gang affiliates; they are targeted as serious offenders protected by sanctuary policies.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows denied CBP's request for confidential license plates, citing past abuses of power, amid concerns over immigration enforcement.
Two men detained by ICE, including one shot by an agent in North Minneapolis, appeared in federal court; testimony challenged the federal account, and they were granted conditional release despite ICE detainers.
History
6 sources