Federal court temporarily stays order limiting ICE actions against Minnesota protesters

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on Tuesday temporarily stayed restrictions imposed on the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents toward protesters in Minnesota, just days after U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ordered the agency to cease retaliatory actions against demonstrators. Based in St. Louis City, the federal court approved an administrative stay that had been requested by the administration of President Donald Trump, pausing enforcement of the previous ruling while the court evaluates whether to grant a longer stay requested by the federal government.

Menendez, who was appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, also barred ICE agents from using pepper spray or "similar non-lethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools" against peaceful protesters. Similarly, its ruling prevents agents from detaining drivers or passengers "where there is no reasonable articulable suspicion that they are forcibly obstructing or interfering" with a law enforcement operation.

In the request sent by the Trump administration, under the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, was included a Jan. 5 statement from David Easterwood, acting director of the ICE field office in St. Paul, Minn. In his statement, Easterwood argued that preventing ICE agents from employing appropriate enforcement would be "unworkable, unnecessary, and further endanger the safety of law enforcement personnel and the public."

The legal dispute comes amid heightened tensions following a protest on Sunday in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul. As several media outlets have revealed, Easterwood is listed as a pastor at that church.