Federal court backs Trump administration, keeps restrictions on federal agents at Minnesota protests on hold
Appeals court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump's administration in concluding that limitations imposed earlier this month by U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez were overbroad
ICE and DHS agents during an immigration raid (File).
A three-judge panel of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused Monday to reinstate restrictions on how federal agents can act during protests in Minnesota, rejecting a request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed after a deadly weekend shooting in the city of Minneapolis that killed a 37-year-old man named Alex Pretti in the midst of an immigration raid.
Thus, the federal appeals court ruled in favor of the administration of President Donald Trump by concluding that the limitations imposed earlier this month by U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez were overly broad and lacked the necessary clarity. In an unsigned opinion, the panel warned that the order exposed agents to legal risks without providing clear guidelines, noting that "a wrong decision could end in contempt, yet there is little in the order that limits the district court's power to impose it."
The ACLU rejected the decision
The Minneapolis incident, in which Pretti was killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, came after the administration had already filed an emergency appeal of Menendez's order. By then, the Eighth Circuit had agreed to temporarily stay the lower court's restrictions. Following the shooting, the ACLU returned to court over the weekend to urge the appeals court to reinstate the limitations "in light of escalating, imminent risks."
The ACLU of Minnesota sharply criticized the federal court's decision, in a statement released by its executive director, Deepinder Mayell, in which she said, "While federal agents claim they can act with impunity and kill people on our streets, this ruling is incredibly disappointing. But let's be clear: Minnesotans have the right to safely assemble, document and protest the actions of federal immigration agents in our communities, and we will continue to work to ensure that all residents of the state can exercise those rights without fear of harm from ICE or another government actor."
Menendez's Order
The Trump administration responded that Menendez did not have the authority to impose such restrictionsand argued that the order put both immigration agents and public safety at risk.
LATEST
