A federal appeals court overturned an order that restricts the abilities of federal immigration agents.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals panel agreed with the Trump administration’s argument that the restrictions were too broad and vague, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling against universal injunctions.
According to the panel, the lower court’s decision was a “universal injunction by another name.”
“We accessed and viewed the same videos the district court did,” the Eighth Circuit Court wrote. “What they show is observers and protestors engaging in a wide range of conduct, some of it peaceful but much of it not. They also show federal agents responding in various ways. Even the named plaintiffs’ claims involve different conduct, by different officers, at different times, in different places, in response to different behavior.”
The videos reviewed by the court “underscore how difficult it would be for them to decide who has crossed the line: they show a fast-changing mix of peaceful and obstructive conduct, with many protestors getting in officers’ faces and blocking their vehicles as they conduct their activities, only for some of them to then rejoin the crowd and intermix with others who were merely recording and observing the scene.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the decision, declaring on X that Justice Department attorneys “have now obtained a FULL STAY in this crucial case.”
“Liberal judges tried to handcuff our federal law enforcement officers, restrict their actions, and put their safety at risk when responding to violent agitators,” Bondi stated. “The DOJ went to court. We got a temporary stay. NOW, the 8th Circuit has fully agreed that this reckless attempt to undermine law enforcement cannot stand.”
