&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US judge restricts ICE tactics in Minnesota, blocks arrests, using pepper-spray on protestors")
A US federal judge on Friday (Jan 16) restricted immigration agents from their aggressive tactics in Minnesota, barring them from detaining or arresting peaceful protesters and drivers, and using pepper-spray against demonstrators. US District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s current operation has 72 hours to come into compliance, according to the 83-page order. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump walked back on his threats to invoke the Insurrection Act to deal with protests against immigration raids in Minnesota and said that there was no immediate need to “use it”.
The order comes amid the recent tensions in the state after an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman protestor, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis on January 7. The Trump administration defended the incident by describing the shooting as a response to “an act of domestic terrorism”. In another incident, a Minneapolis resident was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on Wednesday (Jan 14).
In a separate legal action, the Justice Department was investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for impeding federal officers as the tensions between the White House and local officials rose.
Amid the escalating row between Trump and Minnesota leaders, the US president threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act. “If I needed it, I would use it. I don’t think there is any reason right now to use it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The Insurrection Act will allow Trump to sidestep the Posse Comitatus Act to suppress “armed rebellion” or “domestic violence” and deploy the military “as he considers necessary” against protesters. The demonstrations in the state have expanded after the killing of Renee Good amid Trump’s crackdown against “illegal aliens”.
Earlier on Wednesday (Jan 14), Tim Walz, in a video on X, accused federal agents of waging “a campaign of organised brutality against the people of Minnesota.”
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Meanwhile, Good’s family have announced that they have retained a top law firm to investigate her killing ahead of a possible legal action against the officer and government. On Thursday (Jan 15), the lawyers demanded that federal officials, including the agent who killed Good, preserve records and evidence related to the incident.
