US appellate court removes injunction on federal officer tactics at Minnesota protests – JURIST

A US federal appellate court on Monday declined to reinstate an lower court injunction on federal agent-tactics at protests in Minnesota.

The Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit refused to extend a trial court’s preliminary injunction that prohibited agents from retaliating against individuals engaged in “peaceful and unobstructive protest activity.” The injunction came on January 17 in response to a suit filed by a Minnesota man who alleged ICE officers disproportionately and unnecessarily escalated a traffic stop encounter.

“For at least two reasons, the government has made ‘a strong showing’ that its challenge to the injunction ‘is likely to succeed on the merits,’” the appellate court wrote in its unsigned opinion.

The court found the requested relief for “such a broad uncertified class” was “just a universal injunction by another name.” In June 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that federal district courts cannot issue universal injunctions. The court also found that enjoining “peaceful and unobstructive protest activity” was overly vague, noting that it did not adequately restrain the trial court from enjoining a wide range of agent-action.

“A wrong call could end in contempt, yet there is little in the order that constrains the district court’s power to impose it,” the opinion stated.

The ACLU, as part of a legal team representing Minnesota residents using over immigration officer-tactics, pushed to reinstate the injunction following a second killing of a US citizen by ICE agents in Minnesota on Saturday. Plaintiffs claimed the fatal shooting demonstrated “escalating, imminent risks.” In a release, Deepinder Mayell, executive director of ACLU of Minnesota, wrote:

Yesterday tens of thousands of Minnesotans from all walks of life marched through the streets in subzero temperatures to demand ICE stop terrorizing our communities, and today we wake up to the heartbreaking news that federal officials killed another person. This tragedy is further proof that these federal agents are out of control and critically endangering our communities. ICE and CBP must end their operations in our city before anyone else is harmed, and an independent investigation must be conducted.

The court did, however, grant the plaintiffs’ request for expedited merits briefing.