A Minnesota judge has issued a decisive ruling on Friday, preventing federal officers from arresting or using tear gas on peaceful demonstrators who are not obstructing authorities during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez’s decision to restrict actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal agents comes amidst ongoing protests in Minneapolis, following the fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month.
The ruling explicitly bans officers from retaliating against individuals who are peacefully protesting or observing immigration operations. Federal agents are now required to demonstrate probable cause or reasonable suspicion of criminal activity or interference with law enforcement before taking action against protestors.
In response to the ruling, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that the First Amendment does not extend protection to “rioting.” She stated that DHS is committed to “taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and safeguard both our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”
Law enforcement officers were seen amidst tear gas during a reported shooting incident on January 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Adam Gray/AP Photo)
McLaughlin further noted in a statement to Fox News Digital, “We remind the public that rioting is hazardous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime, and assaulting officers is a felony. Rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement, launched fireworks at them, slashed vehicle tires, and vandalized federal property. Others have disregarded commands, attempted to impede law enforcement operations, and used vehicles as weapons against our officers.”
McLaughlin added that “assaulting and obstructing law enforcement is a felony.”
“Despite these grave threats and dangerous situations, our law enforcement has followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property,” she stated.
Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 15, 2026. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Under the ruling, federal agents cannot use pepper-spray or other non-lethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against peaceful protesters, the ruling states.
Additionally, Menendez wrote that safely following officers “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop.”
The ruling stems from a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, who argued that government officers were violating the constitutional rights of Twin City residents.
Federal agents deal with agitators outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Jamie Vera/Fox News)
Government attorneys said officers were acting within their legal authority and appropriately to violence as they’ve enforced immigration laws across the country and in Minnesota.
The ongoing unrest in Minneapolis comes after two recent shootings involving ICE agents in the city.
Good died on Jan. 7 after an ICE agent shot into her vehicle through the driver’s side windshield and open window after she allegedly attempted to run him over. He could be heard on video after the fact saying “f—ing b—h” as her car crashed into a parked car.
While Democrats and local residents have condemned the shooting as a murder and called for the agent’s prosecution, the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have defended the incident, arguing it was a justified shooting.
Members of law enforcement work the scene following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during federal operations on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Then, on Wednesday, an ICE officer was seriously injured after being ambushed by three illegal immigrants during a traffic stop targeting a Venezuelan national, according to federal officials. One suspect was shot, and all three were taken into custody after the stop escalated into a foot chase and violent struggle, authorities said.
Menendez is presiding over a separate lawsuit filed Monday by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the enforcement crackdown.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
