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A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily limited federal officers’ use of force on peaceful protesters outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland.

The decision Tuesday applies only outside the federal facility in Portland.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon’s ruling blocks federal officers from using “chemical or projectile munitions,” including pepper balls, tear gas and other crowd control munitions “unless the specific target of such a weapon or device poses an imminent threat of physical harm to a law enforcement officer or other person.”

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“Our nation is now at a crossroads,” Simon wrote in the 22-page temporary restraining order. “We have been here before and have previously returned to the right path, notwithstanding an occasional detour. In helping our nation find its constitutional compass, an impartial and independent judiciary operating under the rule of law has a responsibility that it may not shirk.”

The judge’s ruling also blocks federal officers from firing munitions or using weapons directed “at the head, neck, or torso of any person, unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person.”

In a statement, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin agreed the constitution “protects speech and peaceful assembly - not rioting” and defended the actions of federal officers.

McLaughlin’s statement did not mention Portland or Simon’s order specifically.

“DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters,” McLaughlin said. “Despite these grave threats and dangerous situations our law enforcement [has] followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.”

An attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice told Simon in court that Homeland Security officers are following their use-of-force policies.

In a statement, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson praised the judge’s ruling.

“Federal agents have used unconscionable levels of force against a community exercising their constitutional right to free expression,” Wilson said. “Peaceful civic participation isn’t a threat, and these new restrictions on federal agents are an important first step in ending the violence and harm we’ve witnessed in our community.”

The judge’s order comes after months of Homeland Security officers using tear gas and other chemical munitions on demonstrators.

Since protests began over the federal government’s stepped up immigration enforcement, some have been charged and pleaded guilty to crimes outside the ICE facility. But many others engaged in nonviolent protests, such as holding signs on public property, have also been harmed by federal officers’ use of force.

Over this past weekend, the use of force appeared to escalate. Protesters, including children and elderly people, were hit with tear gas when federal officers fired chemical munitions at a group of demonstrators blocking the immigration facility’s driveway on Saturday.

Videos, submitted as part of the court case, show uses of force at the ICE facility, including videos of the tear gas used on protesters Jan. 31. One video shows a child getting their eyes flushed out after being exposed.

While the restraining order is temporary, a separate federal judge may take up the question sooner. A lawsuit filed by tenants of the low-income apartment building nearby asked U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio to block the use of chemical munitions, such as tear gas, that impact their residences. The next hearing on that case is set for Feb. 13.

Simon has scheduled a hearing on the underlying lawsuit for March 2, where he’ll take testimony from witnesses. That evidence could form a basis for an injunction should the judge deem it necessary.

The case before Simon is led by the ACLU of Oregon, which argued in court filings that, since June, federal law enforcement officers have used “excessive force on peaceful protesters at and around the ICE Building.”

Some protesters stated in court filings that the use of tear gas and other chemical munitions makes them fearful of participating in peaceful demonstrations.

“This administration should hear our grievances and halt their barbaric treatment of our communities,” Jack Dickinson, also known as “the Portland Chicken,” who is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in response to Simon’s ruling. “Until then, I hope Portland will continue to show up and exercise our First Amendment rights. Our voices are needed most in times like now.”

In his order, Simon stated he would not hold Homeland Security officers liable if someone is incidentally exposed to a crowd control device.

After a four-year probe, federal agents investigating President Biden’s son Hunter believe they’ve gathered sufficient evidence to charge him with tax crimes and making a false statement related to a gun purchase, people familiar with the case told The Washington Post.

U.S. Lawyer for the District of Delaware David Weiss, a Trump appointee, will now need to determine whether or not or to charge Hunter Biden, the people stated. The investigation started with agents looking into Biden’s finances in relation to his consulting work overseas, and over time started focusing on whether or not he reported all of his earnings and lied about his drug use on gun purchase paperwork in 2018, people familiar with the matter informed the Post.

In a statement to the Post, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Chris Clark, stated it’s “a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a grand jury investigation such as this one. Any agent you cite as a source in your article apparently has committed such a felony. We expect the Department of Justice will diligently investigate and prosecute such bad actors.” Clark additionally stated Biden’s legal team believes “the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense.”

Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have long questioned Hunter Biden’s business ventures, notably those overseas, and Trump’s first impeachment was tied to his July 2019 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he pressured him to investigate both Joe and Hunter Biden.

A fire inside a police union building led authorities in Portland, Ore. to declare a riot and turn protesters away from the offices as demonstrations continue in the city after federal agents withdrew more than a week ago.