BREAKING: A federal judge has severely restricted what ICE can do in Minnesota — effective immediately. Agents are now barred from using force or even engaging with anyone without a warrant or reasonable suspicion. The order also protects people filming, uninvolved drivers, and peaceful protesters, warning that violations could lead to contempt charges. The public welcomed the ruling — until Trump released a statement responding to it.

In a significant development amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issued a preliminary injunction on January 16, 2026, limiting the tactics of federal immigration agents deployed in Minnesota as part of **Operation Metro Surge**.

The order, stemming from a lawsuit filed by protesters and observers (supported by groups like the ACLU), prohibits agents from:

– Retaliating against individuals engaged in **peaceful and unobstructive protest activity**, including observing ICE operations.

– Arresting or detaining such individuals without **probable cause** or **reasonable suspicion** of a crime or interference.

– Using pepper spray, tear gas, or similar nonlethal crowd-control tools against peaceful participants.

– Stopping vehicles unless there is **reasonable articulable suspicion** of forcible obstruction or interference — explicitly stating that safely following agents at an appropriate distance does **not** create such suspicion.

The ruling protects First and Fourth Amendment rights and applies specifically to agents involved in the current surge in the Minneapolis area. Violations could result in contempt of court charges.

It follows weeks of protests triggered by the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, and a subsequent nonfatal shooting.

Community groups and Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, hailed the decision as a necessary check on what they described as excessive and unconstitutional federal tactics that have created fear in local neighborhoods.

However, the celebration was short-lived. The Trump administration signaled strong opposition, with indications that it may appeal the order immediately.

President Trump, who has previously threatened to invoke the **Insurrection Act** to deploy troops if protests escalated, reiterated his commitment to continuing aggressive immigration enforcement.

In response to related developments (including an earlier denial of a broader restraining order against the operations), Trump posted on Truth Social that ICE would press forward undeterred.

A DHS spokesperson emphasized that agents have acted lawfully amid reported threats and violence against them, vowing to “always enforce the law.”

The injunction highlights the deepening clash between federal immigration priorities and local resistance in sanctuary-leaning jurisdictions, with further legal battles likely ahead as Operation Metro Surge continues.