The chief judge called it an extraordinary step“ but accused ICE of repeated violations.
The chief federal judge in Minnesota ordered Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons to personally appear before the court this Friday and explain why he should not be held in contempt, in what he acknowledged was an “extraordinary step“.
Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz wrote in an order dated Monday that the Department of Homeland Security had “failed to comply“ with “dozens of court orders“ in recent weeks related to the ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the state, which have sparked unrest that has seen the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents. Newsweek has contacted DHS for comment. “The practical consequence of respondents’ failure to comply has almost always been significant hardship to aliens : The detention of an alien is extended, or an alien who should remain in Minnesota is flown to Texas, or an alien who has been flown to Texas is released there and told to figure out a way to get home,“ Schiltz wrote. Schiltz said the court has been “extremely patient“ with the Trump administration, even though it “decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result.“ “Respondents have continually assured the Court that they recognize their obligation to comply with Court orders, and that they have taken steps to ensure that those orders will be honored going forward,“ he continued. “Unfortunately, though, the violations continue. The Court’s patience is at an end.“ The judge concluded: “The Court acknowledges that ordering the head of a federal agency to personally appear is an extraordinary step, but the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have beentried and failed.“ This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. A federal agent lobs a teargas canister towards protesters as agents advance through clouds of tear gas during clashes following the fatal shooting of a protester earlier in the day, on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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