MINNEAPOLIS – A federal judge in Minnesota has ruled that federal agents conducting a major immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area are prohibited from arresting or using tear gas on peaceful demonstrators.

This decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez in response to a lawsuit initiated in December by six activists from Minnesota.

Since early December, thousands have been monitoring the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents as they implement the Trump administration’s immigration policies in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.

The activists, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, argue that the actions of federal officers are infringing on the constitutional rights of residents in the Twin Cities.

In defense, government lawyers maintain that the officers are operating within their legal boundaries, both in enforcing immigration laws and ensuring their own safety.