A federal judge sharply restricted how the Trump administration can conduct immigration arrests in Washington, D.C., stopping short of an outright ban but blocking the broad dragnet tactics federal agents have used since the White House’s August law enforcement surge.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, ruled Tuesday night that while federal immigration officers may make warrantless civil arrests under the Immigration and Nationality Act, they cannot do so in the sweeping manner that has unfolded across Washington. Going forward, officers must either obtain an administrative warrant or have particularized probable cause that a person is both unlawfully present and likely to flee before a warrant can be secured.