Judge: Feds Can't Detain, Tear-Gas Peaceful Protesters

Federal officers in the Minneapolis area participating in its largest recent US immigration enforcement operation can't detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren't obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents, a judge in Minnesota ruled on Friday. US District Judge Kate Menendez's ruling addresses a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. The six are among the thousands who've been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since last month, per the AP.

Federal agents and demonstrators have repeatedly clashed since the crackdown began. The confrontations escalated after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away from a scene in Minneapolis, an incident that was captured on video from several angles. Agents have arrested or briefly detained many people in the Twin Cities. The activists in the case are represented by the ACLU of Minnesota, which says government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents. After the ruling, Department of Homeland Security rep Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying her agency was taking "appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters."

McLaughlin said people have assaulted officers, vandalized their vehicles and federal property, and attempted to impede officers from doing their work. "We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony," McLaughlin said. The ACLU didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The ruling prohibits officers from detaining individuals in vehicles when there's no reasonable suspicion they're obstructing or interfering with officers.

Safely following agents "at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop," the ruling said. Menendez said the agents wouldn't be allowed to arrest people without probable cause or reasonable suspicion the person has committed a crime or was obstructing or interfering with officer activity. Menendez is also presiding over a lawsuit filed on Monday by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the enforcement crackdown.