Posted on 01/16/2026 11:30:53 PM PST by Morgana
A federal judge on Friday issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and blocked ICE from arresting so-called peaceful protestors.
US District Judge Katherine Menendez, a Biden appointee, also blocked ICE agents from deploying non-lethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against protestors.
Six individuals sued The DHS, DHS Chief Kristi Noem and other federal agencies to restrict ICE’s tactics.
Approximately 3,000 federal agents have descended on Minnesota to arrest criminal illegal aliens.
Judge Menendez also ruled that protestors may ‘safely’ follow ICE vehicles.
The judge ruled:
Covered Federal Agents are hereby enjoined from:
a. Retaliating against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge.
b. Arresting or detaining persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge, in retaliation for their protected conduct and absent a showing of probable cause or reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime or is obstructing or interfering with the activities of Covered Federal Officers.
c. Using pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity, including observing the activities of Operation Metro Surge, in retaliation for their protected conduct.
d. Stopping or detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles where there is no reasonable articulable suspicion that they are forcibly obstructing or interfering with Covered Federal Agents, or otherwise violating 18 U.S.C. § 111. The act of safely following Covered Federal Agents at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop.
Separately, the state of Minnesota sued the Department of Homeland Security to stop federal agents from conducting lawful immigration raids.
Judge Menendez did not immediately issue a TRO on that case. She gave both sides more time to submit arguments.
These kids are using sites like https://www.iceinmyarea.org/ to coordinate on one location.
Fed up normal people have access as well.
Jus sayn...
Not exactly an accurate headline. His rulings apply to non-obstructive protest, etc. That, of course, will be battled in court on some occasions.
Time for Trump to invoke Insurrection Act.
“Judges”ruling seems pointless, if “protester” are not interfering and violent then ICE has no reason to detain or arrest. If they do then that is when the courts get involved if “protesters” sue.
That’s absurd.
Blocking a highway and gassing your vehicle towards an officer...is NOT Peaceful and Unobtrusive.
YES. America’s robed mullahs aren out of control.
Disregard that judge, he violated his oath.
Supremacy clause.
Relevant statutes here:
18 U.S. Code § 1502 - Resistance to extradition agent
-Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs, resists, or opposes an extradition agent of the United States in the execution of his duties, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
there is a criminal charge that should be placed upon every Governor, Mayor or City Council Member that plays the sanctuary game!
8USC s1342. which makes it a Federal Crime to harbor an illegal alien, and if you delve into the punishment section, if the actions of harboring result in death of any person, the punishment can and should be the death penalty…8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(B)(iv) “in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) resulting in the death of any person, be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined under title 18, or both.”
Paging AG @PamBondi to the DO YOUR DAMNED JOB phone.
Totally unnecessary ruling. SCOTUS already ruled there must be specific cases and controversies, and this ruling is nothing more than restating the right of peaceful protests, as long as it doesn’t involve interfering with LEO operations.
It looks like it’s time to rename “operation metro surge” since that specific operation has been interfered with by this judge.
This will be overturned on appeal. While the judge is essentially restating current operating parameters of DHS and ICE, the interpretation of subjects’ actions will be the nuance if cases make it to court.
This is but another example of the judiciary far overstepping its jurisdiction.
Slight correction
“Autopen Judge”
Joe didn’t didn’t anything about nomination
This is the judgement that needs to be ignored.
STUPID DEMOCRAT JUDGES ARE OIUT OF CONTROL!! SCREW WHAT THEY SAY!!
Looks meaningless to me. Virtually none of this is “peaceful and unobstructive”
This pretty much guarantees that the insurrection act will be invoked.
The order seems vague enough that it will embolden some protesters to test the limits of the order. Let's say a group of protesters push their way in to within 10 feet of an ICE operation and the officers tell the protestors to move back. The protesters then could claim they don't have to, because they are monitoring, etc.
Enough. Arrest the frikkin judge!
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