An FBI officer works the scene during operations on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officers in the Minneapolis area participating in its largest U.S. immigration enforcement operation can no longer detain or tear gas peaceful protesters, a U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled in a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists.

Thousands of people have 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 early December.

The activists in the case are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, which says government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

Government attorneys argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves.

Approximately 3,000 federal agents from ICE and CBP are deployed in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area as part of “Operation Metro Surge” aimed at immigration enforce-

ment. The operation has drawn criticism from local and state authorities.