{"id":2543345,"date":"2026-01-19T08:30:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-have-bad-news-for-ice-agitators-who-think-they-can-hide-behind-legal-observer-status-2\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T08:32:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:32:35","slug":"lawyers-have-bad-news-for-ice-agitators-who-think-they-can-hide-behind-legal-observer-status-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-have-bad-news-for-ice-agitators-who-think-they-can-hide-behind-legal-observer-status-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyers Have Bad News for ICE Agitators Who Think They Can Hide Behind &#8216;Legal Observer&#8217; Status"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flawyers-have-bad-news-for-ice-agitators-who-think-they-can-hide-behind-legal-observer-status-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2543345&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Legal experts say people who call themselves &#8220;legal observers&#8221; have no special constitutional rights beyond those of any other citizen to watch and record police; they may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-really-happened-at-the-dawn-of-russiagate-trumps-intel-agencies-aim-to-find-out-at-last\/\" title=\"What really happened at the dawn of Russiagate? Trump\u2019s intel agencies aim to find out at last\">face criminal consequences<\/a> if they obstruct law enforcement. The remarks follow the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good,a self-described legal observer,by an ICE agent in Minnesota &#8211; video shows her car blocking a road,her refusal to exit,and than accelerating toward an agent before he fired; DHS reported the agent sustained a torso injury from the vehicle. Conservative and mainstream attorneys quoted in the piece stress the legal line is between lawful observation and unlawful interference, and note activists sometimes provoke or obstruct officers while invoking a purported &#8220;observer&#8221; status.activist accounts and social posts from groups like Minnesota ICE Watch framed agents as aggressors, but some clips reportedly show protesters pushing or otherwise confronting officers. The article notes the National Lawyers Guild popularized the &#8220;legal observer&#8221; label and that courts have protected observers who do not commit crimes (including a 2020 Ninth Circuit decision), but emphasizes that claiming the role does not provide immunity or extra constitutional protections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Leftist protesters calling themselves &ldquo;legal observers&rdquo; have no unique First Amendment rights when interacting with law enforcement,&nbsp;legal experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Politicians blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement in <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ilhan\/status\/2008994804043063640\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statements<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/08\/nx-s1-5670462\/minnesota-ag-keith-ellison-on-deadly-shooting-of-minneapolis-woman-by-an-ice-officer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">describing<\/a> an agent&rsquo;s fatal shooting of &ldquo;legal observer&rdquo; Renee Good on Jan. 7 in Minnesota, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/minnesota\/live-updates\/minneapolis-ice-agent-shooting-protesters-clash-fbi-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">invoking<\/a> a term activists have used for decades to describe those who monitor police activity during protests. Such titles carry no constitutional significance and do not remove consequences for impeding law enforcement, as Good is accused of doing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/google-ibm-quietly-backtrack-on-race-conscious-fellowships-in-wake-of-free-beacon-reports\/\" title=\"Google, IBM Quietly Backtrack on Race...Conscious Fellowships in Wake of Free Beacon Reports\">civil rights lawyers told<\/a> the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These observers have the same rights as any other citizen to observe and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-have-bad-news-for-ice-agitators-who-think-they-can-hide-behind-legal-observer-status\/\" title=\"...yers Have Bad News for ... Agitators Who Think They Can Hide Behind &#039;Legal ...&#039; Status\">record law enforcement conduct<\/a> in public,&rdquo; Timothy Snowball, a senior attorney for the conservative Legal Insurrection Foundation, remarked. &ldquo;However, the legal line is between observation and obstruction. There is a wide gulf between observation and purposefully trying to prevent law enforcement from doing their duty.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are no special or unique protections. &lsquo;Legal observers&rsquo; can (and should be able to) observe and record, but they can&rsquo;t interfere with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >law enforcement activities &#038;mdash<\/a>; that&rsquo;s a crime,&rdquo; Manhattan Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/manhattan.institute\/person\/ilya-shapiro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">constitutional scholar<\/a> and attorney Ilya Shapiro told the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Footage from the Minneapolis shooting showed ICE agents surrounding Good&rsquo;s car as it blocked part of the road. She refused to step out when they asked her to, and she suddenly drove toward one agent before he fired multiple shots.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security reported that the car injured the agent&rsquo;s torso from impact. Good&rsquo;s female partner was seen filming the agents on her phone and telling Good, &ldquo;drive, baby, drive,&rdquo; just before Good accelerated her car.<\/p>\n<p>There are multiple ways these supposed observers can run afoul of the law, such as ignoring an order to disperse or keep proper distance from officers, Snowball told the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;However, the prohibitions on interference also go in the other direction if law enforcement attempts to use its authority or force to stop the public from lawful observation or recording when there is no obstruction taking place,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But in the most recent incidents, the former appears to be the case, rather than the latter.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Minnesota ICE Watch, a group consisting of Good and other ICE-tracking activists, d a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTZdYn8DeYV\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video<\/a> on Instagram of a raid at a gas station where a protester clashed with a federal agent while seemingly filming him.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The G3STAPO TERRORIST Hit a man and then jumped him for LEGALLY OBSERVING,&rdquo; the Instagram post said &mdash; despite the video showing that the man pushed the agent&rsquo;s arm when told to step back, apparently prompting the agent to arrest.<\/p>\n<p>The ICE Watch Instagram account also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTY9OjikibD\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">d a clip<\/a> from the past week showing the aftermath of a car crash between ICE and a &ldquo;legal observer,&rdquo; blaming authorities for the wreck without context. Agents were seen restraining the driver on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Activists and protesters can weaponize a made-up special legal observer status by crossing the line I mentioned and specifically interfering with law enforcement, or provoking law enforcement,&rdquo; Snowball said. &ldquo;There is also, as in many cases, a general ignorance of the law and Constitution at issue when it comes to many of these &lsquo;legal observers.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The left-wing National Lawyers Guild popularized and trademarked the legal observer phrase after taking inspiration from the Black Panther Party&rsquo;s tactics of monitoring police in the 1960s. Many self-described legal observers have been <a href=\"https:\/\/omahadailyrecord.com\/content\/legal-observer-arrested-during-protest-held-22-hours\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">arrested<\/a> at left-wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law360.com\/articles\/1514227\/legal-observers-arrested-at-floyd-protest-win-49k-and-fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">demonstrations<\/a> in the U.S. in recent decades while <a href=\"https:\/\/ccrjustice.org\/home\/press-center\/press-releases\/charges-against-legal-observer-arrested-arizona-immigration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">claiming<\/a> to follow the law, but with hardly any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/sep\/13\/cop-city-case-georgia-prosecutors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prosecutions<\/a>, according to news reports and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/onthestreetsofamericaamnestyinternational.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">activist groups<\/a>. Federal appeals judges in Oregon <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca9\/20-35739\/20-35739-2020-10-09.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ruled<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opb.org\/pdf\/20201009CourtOrder_1602345843220.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2020<\/a> that legal observers are free to remain at Black Lives Matter protests if they are not committing crimes, granting them the same permissions as journalists.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Many appear to be entirely unaware or misled as to the legal issues in question, and may genuinely believe they have legal rights they do not actually possess,&rdquo; Snowball told the Daily Caller News Foundation. &ldquo;But as we learned in the first year of law school: &lsquo;ignorance of the law is no excuse.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to ... 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For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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