Virtual event will discuss use of jury nullification in cases involving immigration enforcement actions.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A Minnesota-based activist organization that has supported protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations is set to host a virtual training focused on jury nullification later this month.

Defend the 612, a Minneapolis-area group, is advertising a Feb. 23 online “Jury Nullification Training” that aims to explain how jurors can use their discretion in court cases involving what organizers describe as “unjust laws and political persecution,” according to an archived version of the event listing available here. The event was first reported by Alpha News.

In its description, the group states that participants will “learn about jury nullification — or the people’s pardon — how it’s been used, ways it can stem authoritarian overreach, and how we can use it today.” The listing adds that the session will examine “how to legally use conscience in the courtroom to defend communities from unjust laws.”

Jury nullification occurs when jurors acquit a defendant despite evidence of guilt, often because they disagree with the law being applied. Such verdicts generally cannot be overturned due to constitutional protections against double jeopardy, as noted by US Legal Forms. However, attorneys and judges may screen out prospective jurors during jury selection if they express views suggesting they would not follow the law as instructed.

The training comes amid heightened enforcement activity by ICE in the Twin Cities and other regions. The Trump administration has charged hundreds of individuals nationwide with allegedly impeding ICE operations, including during recent protests in Minneapolis tied to an immigration enforcement surge that officials say is winding down.

Defend the 612 did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The group is sponsored by Cooperation Cannon River, a tax-exempt organization. According to a Feb. 2 report by City Journal, supporters associated with Defend the 612 have encouraged confrontations with law enforcement and efforts to obstruct ICE activity during demonstrations.

Tensions between activists and federal agents escalated in January, when two U.S. citizens were killed in separate agent-involved shootings. The incidents prompted additional protest activity, including events reported by the Daily Caller.

In January, a conservative watchdog organization submitted a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service requesting a review of Cooperation Cannon River’s tax-exempt status. The complaint, available here, alleges that the group sponsored activities involving illegal conduct.

Defend the 612 has also promoted additional trainings focused on monitoring ICE operations and assisting individuals at risk of arrest. In a Jan. 26 post on Bluesky, the group stated that it does not record such sessions “due to security and safety concerns,” as seen here.

The upcoming jury nullification event highlights ongoing debate over the legal and ethical boundaries of protest activity related to immigration enforcement, as well as the role of jurors in politically charged cases.

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