Federal Judge Issues Injunction Against ICE Tactics
A US federal judge has ordered significant restrictions on the methods used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents when dealing with peaceful protesters in Minneapolis. The ruling, issued by US District Judge Kate Menendez in Minnesota, specifically bars federal agents from retaliating against individuals engaged in non-violent, unobstructive protest activity.
Context of Widespread Unrest and Arrests
This legal intervention comes amid a weeks-long immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St Paul under President Donald Trump, which saw the deployment of thousands of federal agents and resulted in more than 2,500 arrests. The city has been gripped by a wave of demonstrations against ICE since the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother-of-three, Renee Nicole Good, by an agent on 7 January 2026.
Public anger was further fuelled by another incident on Wednesday in Minneapolis, where a federal officer shot a man in the leg after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle. The judge's injunction is a direct response to a lawsuit filed against the US Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies on 17 December, brought on behalf of six protesters and observers who claimed their constitutional rights were infringed.
Political Fallout and Investigations
In a related political development, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are now under investigation. The US Justice Department has launched a probe into whether statements by the two officials sought to block federal agents from carrying out immigration enforcement, an allegation they strongly deny.
In a statement to Sky's US partner network NBC News, Mayor Frey called it "an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis" against the "chaos and danger" brought by the administration. Governor Walz responded by stating that "weaponising the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic."
The court's decision marks a critical check on federal authority during a period of intense civil unrest and highlights the ongoing legal and political battles surrounding immigration enforcement tactics in the United States.
