Judge Restricts ICE Actions Against Protesters in Minnesota

As long as protestors are not obstructing the agents from performing their duties, they cannot be detained or tear gassed, the ruling states.

Federal officers in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 9, 2026. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday ruled that federal immigration agents can’t detain or use nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools on peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents.

The decision, handed down Friday by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, stems from a lawsuit brought last month by six local activists.