The Department of Justice announced on Saturday its intent to appeal a federal court ruling that limits the methods U.S. immigration agents can employ during operations in Minneapolis. The appeal came shortly after a judge issued an injunction on Friday prohibiting federal officers from detaining or using tear gas on individuals participating in or observing peaceful protests.
This judicial directive was initiated following a lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security and affiliated agencies on December 17. This was only weeks before an immigration and customs enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, an event that ignited substantial protest activity in the city.
Recent weeks have seen the deployment of thousands of immigration agents to the Minneapolis area as part of the Trump administration's intensified effort to increase deportations of individuals residing in the U.S. without legal authorization. These movements have triggered escalating friction between the community and federal authorities since the fatal shooting incident.
The lawsuit represents six protesters and observers who allege that their constitutional rights were violated due to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The court's order explicitly forbids federal officers from detaining persons engaged solely in peaceful demonstration or observation unless justified by reasonable suspicion of criminal interference or activity.
Furthermore, the order restricts federal agents from deploying pepper spray, tear gas, or similar crowd control measures against peaceful demonstrators or those recording immigration enforcement activities. These constraints aim to uphold civil liberties while balancing the government's mandate to enforce immigration laws.