Judge Limits Ability of ICE to Detain or Use Pepper Spray Against Protesters in Minneapolis

A federal judge in Minnesota has issued an order stating federal immigration agents cannot detain or tear gas protesters observing enforcement operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, as long as they are not obstructing the officers from performing their duties. The decision, handed down Friday by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, stems from a lawsuit brought last month by six local activists. These individuals, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, said that Homeland Security (DHS)  personnel were infringing on their First Amendment rights when they observed federal agents performing their duties. After the ruling, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary 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.”...