LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge on Friday ordered immigration agents to stop using pepper spray, making arrests, or detaining people who are peacefully protesting immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued a preliminary injunction barring such actions by federal agents involved in Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area. The order will remain in effect until the operation concludes. It also prohibits agents from stopping vehicles that are safely following enforcement activity without reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct.
Operation Metro Surge began in early December 2025 with about 2,000 agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and has since expanded to nearly 3,000. The Department of Homeland Security has described it as the largest immigration operation in U.S. history.
Menendez said protesters were likely to succeed in proving violations of their constitutional rights, including free speech and protections against unreasonable searches. She described some allegations against agents as "disturbing," citing reports that protesters were threatened or followed to their homes.
Friday's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed in December by the American Civil Liberties Union's Minnesota branch on behalf of six individuals who said their rights were violated while observing immigration enforcement activities. ■
