A three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on 21 January 2026 granted an administrative stay that immediately lifts a district-court injunction limiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at Minnesota protest sites. The lower-court order, issued just five days earlier, had barred ICE agents from arresting peaceful demonstrators, conducting suspicion-less vehicle stops, or deploying pepper spray.
The Justice Department argued that the injunction hampered national-security enforcement operations; the appeals court agreed the government is likely to succeed on the merits. As a result, ICE agents may resume crowd-control tactics that state officials—including Governor Tim Walz—have denounced as a “federal invasion.” Vice-President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Minneapolis tomorrow for meetings on public safety.
![Appeals Court Restores ICE Powers to Detain Minnesota Protesters]()
For businesses seeking extra assurance amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s corporate visa and passport specialists can guide foreign nationals through status verifications, renewals, and emergency travel documentation. Their United States portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers up-to-date checklists and concierge services—an invaluable resource when last-minute travel or consular appointments are disrupted by enforcement surges like those unfolding in Minnesota.
Why it matters for global mobility: large-scale immigration-enforcement deployments in U.S. cities can create unpredictable risks for foreign employees on temporary visas, especially if they participate in demonstrations. Employers should remind staff of their rights and the importance of carrying proof of lawful status (passport, I-94 printout) at all times. Consular processing may also be affected: Minneapolis has field offices that handle adjustment-of-status interviews, and advocates fear those resources will be diverted to enforcement.
The litigation now proceeds on an expedited merits schedule. Observers expect civil-rights groups to petition the Supreme Court for emergency relief, setting up another high-level clash over federal immigration authority in the interior of the United States.
The Justice Department argued that the injunction hampered national-security enforcement operations; the appeals court agreed the government is likely to succeed on the merits. As a result, ICE agents may resume crowd-control tactics that state officials—including Governor Tim Walz—have denounced as a “federal invasion.” Vice-President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Minneapolis tomorrow for meetings on public safety.
For businesses seeking extra assurance amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s corporate visa and passport specialists can guide foreign nationals through status verifications, renewals, and emergency travel documentation. Their United States portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers up-to-date checklists and concierge services—an invaluable resource when last-minute travel or consular appointments are disrupted by enforcement surges like those unfolding in Minnesota.
Why it matters for global mobility: large-scale immigration-enforcement deployments in U.S. cities can create unpredictable risks for foreign employees on temporary visas, especially if they participate in demonstrations. Employers should remind staff of their rights and the importance of carrying proof of lawful status (passport, I-94 printout) at all times. Consular processing may also be affected: Minneapolis has field offices that handle adjustment-of-status interviews, and advocates fear those resources will be diverted to enforcement.
The litigation now proceeds on an expedited merits schedule. Observers expect civil-rights groups to petition the Supreme Court for emergency relief, setting up another high-level clash over federal immigration authority in the interior of the United States.
