Legal Experts Detail Fourth Amendment Limits on ICE Encounters Amid Minneapolis Surge
Legal experts say Fourth Amendment protections constrain ICE searches and seizures amid a surge of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, advising residents they can refuse consent to searches and request warrants. A separate PBS fact-check found FBI Director Kash Patel’s blanket claim that guns are barred at protests is incorrect under Minnesota law — the state is a permit‑to‑carry jurisdiction that generally does not ban otherwise lawful firearms at demonstrations — and Patel later narrowed his remarks to say the FBI isn’t targeting peaceful, lawful gun owners absent threats.
📌 Key Facts
- PBS fact-check concluded FBI Director Kash Patel’s blanket claim that people cannot lawfully bring a loaded firearm and multiple magazines to 'any sort of protest' is incorrect under Minnesota law.
- Thirteen legal experts told PBS that Minnesota has no statute generally banning otherwise lawful carry at protests.
- Minnesota is a permit-to-carry state and its law preempts most local restrictions on carrying firearms.
- PBS noted that some other states do restrict or ban guns at protests, but there is no nationwide 'blanket prohibition' or long-standing tradition against lawfully carried firearms at demonstrations.
- Patel later narrowed his statement on Fox News, saying the FBI is not going after peaceful protesters or people exercising Second Amendment rights absent incitement or threats.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 27, 2026
11:04 PM
Fact-checking FBI Director Patel's claim that guns are barred at protests
New information:
- Fact-check concludes Kash Patel’s blanket claim that people cannot lawfully bring a loaded firearm and multiple magazines to 'any sort of protest' is incorrect under Minnesota law.
- Thirteen legal experts interviewed say Minnesota has no statute generally banning otherwise lawful carry at protests; Minnesota is a permit‑to‑carry state that preempts most local restrictions.
- The piece notes some other states do restrict or ban guns at protests, but emphasizes there is no nationwide 'blanket prohibition' or long‑standing tradition against lawfully carried firearms at demonstrations.
- Patel later narrowed his statement on Fox News, saying the FBI is not going after peaceful protesters or people exercising Second Amendment rights absent incitement or threats.
January 24, 2026