Updated On: 18 January, 2026 08:13 AM IST | Minneapolis | Agencies
A US federal judge has ruled that Department of Homeland Security officers involved in immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota cannot detain or use tear gas against peaceful protesters. The order, issued by US District Judge Kate Menendez, stems from a case filed by six activists who have been monitoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Protests rise up in the city after an ICE agent shot Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7. Pic/Getty Images
Federal officers in the Minneapolis participating in its largest recent US immigration enforcement operation cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protestors, US District Judge Kate Menendez in Minnesota ruled on Friday. Menendez ruled in a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul area has been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown since early December.