Sen. Markwayne Mullin promised on Capitol Hill this week that if he is confirmed as DHS secretary, he will direct U.S. agents to use judicial warrants, signed by a judge, whenever possible except for in extreme circumstances.

Judicial warrants are legally distinct from administrative warrants, which are generally issued and signed by federal agencies. Judicial warrants are signed by a judge and usually explain specific details about what may be searched and when.

Experts say judicial warrants help ensure proper oversight and protection of rights.

"One of the main reasons for the existence of the 4th Amendment was to have a disinterested objective observer be required to sign off before law enforcement violates really important rights, whether arresting you are searching your home or whatever," said Ronald Allen, a professor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. "As one Supreme Court opinion said, we don't want the people that are engaged in a competitive process of ferreting out crime to be making these decisions as to whether there's adequate information to violate it may not be a violation, but to ensure some of these important rights."

Experts also said in instances where agents enter someone's home without the proper warrant and then there is a case of damage or death, victims or family members may not have the proper legal recourse in court. Or it could take some time for people to get some sort of remedy against the government or those agents.

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The issue of judicial warrants is in the spotlight following nationwide protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies and the conduct of ICE and other Homeland Security agencies. Images went viral of ICE agents going into communities and homes to arrest people.

Georgetown Law professor Louis Michael Seidman says that did a lot to steer how agents' conduct was received.

"What matters is public opinion and popular opposition," Seidmand said. "So what got DHS to back off of this was not some ruling by some judge. It was very brave and committed people who took to the streets in freezing weather to protest this. That's why they backed off. If there's a remedy, the remedy not legal. It is popular opposition."

There remain certain exceptions to the rules surrounding judicial warrants, such as cases of invitation from residents or emergency circumstances.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that 30 more people have been indicted for allegedly taking part in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church.

In a social media post, Bondi said 25 people had been arrested with more arrests to come later in the day.

"YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you," she wrote in the post. "This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith."

Others arrested include independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was the subject of a doctored photo posted by the White House showing her crying during her arrest. They have pleaded not guilty to civil rights charges.

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In total, 39 people have been charged over the church protest and all are charged with conspiracy against religious freedom and interfering with the right of religious freedom.

Protesters descended on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18 after learning that one of the church's pastors also serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. The protest drew swift condemnation from Trump administration officials and conservative leaders for disrupting a Sunday service.

The church protest came amid a tense couple months for Minnesota, where the Trump administration sent thousands of federal officers for Operation Metro Surge after a series of government fraud cases where the majority of defendants had Somali roots. Federal officers frequently deployed tear gas for crowd control in neighborhood clashes with activists, often detaining them along with immigrants.

On Jan. 7, a federal officer shot and killed 37-year-old mother Renee Good in south Minneapolis. In another fatal shooting one week after the church protest, a federal officer killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti.

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Nationwide demonstrations erupted in response, followed by a change in Operation Metro Surge's leadership and the eventual wind-down of the immigration enforcement operation in mid-February.

Since then, the Twin Cities have grappled with the impact to communities and the local economy. The city of Minneapolis said it suffered an impact of $203.1 million due to the operation, with tens of thousands of residents in need of urgent relief assistance.

Federal judges heard two separate cases Monday regarding immigration action in Minnesota.

The first case involves Minnesota's attorney general calling for an end to Operation Metro Surge and for agents to leave the state.

Following the shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti over the weekend, attorneys for the state of Minnesota wrote to the judge and asked for a quicker remedy. In the letter they described the situation as "grave" and said they believed the Trump administration is acting unlawfully.

Judge Katherine Menendez heard arguments for more than two hours Monday, but did not immediately make a ruling.

The judge acknowledged that Minnesota was in "shockingly unusual times," but said she didn't know if that gave her leeway to seek a remedy under the 10th Amendment, which constitutionally protects states' rights.

A letter this weekend from Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused local authorities of breaking federal rules.

"The Pam Bondi letter, it's kind of reveals what this is all about," said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. "This is not about fraud and it's not even about immigration. And it's certainly not about law enforcement. It's about handing over documents of the state of Minnesota, private information including voting information to the federal government. That's what this is about. And that makes that's why we're fighting it."

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Is a separate hearing Monday, a federal judge in St. Paul was considering a case that would force the federal government to preserve any evidence that could be used in future court proceedings, especially when it comes to people in the state of Minnesota who are harmed by ICE activities.

Judge Eric Tostrud ordered Saturday that the Trump administration would be stopped from "destroying or altering evidence" related to Pretti's shooting. An attorney for the state sought the ruling in order to secure evidence from federal officials that Minnesota hasn't reviewed yet.

A federal judge is weighing whether to grant a temporary restraining order that would halt a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operating in Minnesota.

During a hearing, attorneys for the state asked U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino Menendez to immediately block what the administration calls Operation Metro Surge.

The lawsuit argues the expanded federal immigration enforcement presence is causing widespread harm and may violate the 10th Amendment, which reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

The state told the judge that since the lawsuit was filed, following the shooting of Renee Good, another person, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents.

Minnesotas attorney said the operation is leading people to forgo medical care. In one jurisdiction, the attorney said, learning has essentially stopped because families and students are afraid.

The state also cited economic impacts, with restaurants, businesses and events closing or altering operations. One person compared the disruption to the COVID-19 pandemic, the attorney said.

Judge Menendez questioned whether the federal governments actions violate the 10th Amendment and whether the court has the authority to intervene.

Justice Department attorneys, for their part, said the surge is not intended to enforce federal law. They argued the operation is tied to Minneapolis status as a sanctuary city.

Judge Menendez asked whether the surge would end if local governments complied with federal demands. DOJ attorneys did not say definitively what would happen next.

The hearing ended without an immediate ruling. Judge Menendez said the issue is a priority for the court.

If I had a burner, this would be on the front burner, she said.