What Federal Laws are ICE Cops Enforcing as they Post-Up, Stand Around in the Street and Grit on People? Court Issues Warnings and Partially Blocks Tactics against Protesters in Minnesota

From [HERE] The US District Court for the District of Minnesota on Friday granted in part and denied in part a motion for a preliminary injunction brought by six individuals who say federal immigration agents unlawfully arrested, stopped, threatened and/or used chemical irritants against them while they observed, recorded, and protested immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The court order prohibits agents from retaliating against individuals engaged in “peaceful and unobstructive protest activity” and from arresting or detaining such persons “in retaliation” absent probable cause or reasonable suspicion that the person committed a crime or interfered with covered officers. The court also barred the retaliatory use of pepper spray or similar tools against peaceful, unobstructive protesters and observers.

The ruling further restricts vehicle stops in the context of protests, holding that the “act of safely following” federal agents “at an appropriate distance” does not, by itself, provide reasonable suspicion to justify a stop. The order requires defendants to disseminate the injunction broadly to covered agents by distributing it to all covered federal agents within 72 hours and to newly deployed agents who arrive in Minnesota to participate in the operation.

The plaintiffs sued Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and senior officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arm, alleging that the government’s “Operation Metro Surge” has produced “an unprecedented increase” in federal law enforcement presence in Minnesota. The plaintiffs also claimed that agents have responded to community observers with intimidation, force and detention. [MORE]