While Not As Sweeping As The Chicago Orders, Minneapolis Is Now Covered By A Prelim. Inj., Against Bovino/Noem Lawlessness. First Amend. Rights Prevail.

This is a good start -- the larger suit is now scheduled for a hearing shortly on a much broader preliminary injunction -- as we mentioned earlier in the week.

But this one plainly prohibits the use of lethal force against people in their cars, or observers, unless they are trying to mow down ICE agents. It also prevents tear gas against protesters who are not violently assaulting federel agents. That's enough for the moment. Here's the 83 page federal court order, in full -- and a bit:

. . .Some nonparty declarants have described disturbing conduct of agents during and after these stops, including: threatening to arrest and detain them despite knowing that they were citizens; threatening to break the driver’s windows; waiting for the witnesses outside their homes; following them to their homes or to an address where their vehicles are registered; and telling the witnesses that they know where they live. (Rudolph Leon Decl. ¶¶ 24–26; Jackson Decl. ¶ 8; Levy Decl. ¶ 12; Smith Decl. 2 ¶ 4; Kellermeyer Decl. ¶ 4.) Ms. Salm describes having her phone seized from her hands while recording agents; being choked by the collar of her shirt. . . and being threatened with “a fucking bullet in [her] skull.” (Salm Decl. ¶¶ 9–23.). . . .

Defendants have not provided declarations or other evidence regarding the circumstances of the stops of Plaintiffs Webb, Biestman, and Lee, nor have they provided evidence to refute the accounts provided by the nonparty witnesses who were stopped by immigration officers. . . .

[Witness] Crenshaw entered the restaurant, he saw “two agents. . . violently slamming a young black man against the wall.” (Id. ¶ 4.) The man was “yelling in pain and saying that he was a U.S. citizen,” but the agents “didn’t seem to care” and “dragged [the man] outside,” even though he continued to tell them he is a citizen. (Id.) When Crenshaw and other observers followed the agents outside, one of the agents “slammed the door on [them]” and appeared to be “frustrated with [them] being there and filming them and telling them that what they were doing was wrong[.]” (Id. ¶ 5.) Once Crenshaw was outside the restaurant, he saw the agents “violently push the young man into the snow for no apparent reason” and “put him in handcuffs” and into a car with “black windows” and a Florida license plate. . . .

This is not conduct befitting. . . American law enforcement -- at all. Moreover, the stupidly evil DoJ "investigation" into Tim Walz and the Mayor of Minneapolis -- is not worthy of any real comment. So. . . I won't. It's a dead letter. Onward.

नमस्ते