Judge Orders ICE Director to Court Over Compliance Issues
MINNEAPOLIS — In a recent development, the top federal judge in Minnesota has expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s handling of bond hearings for detained immigrants. Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz has summoned Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to appear in court on Friday to justify why he should not face contempt charges.
The directive follows Judge Schiltz’s Monday order where he criticized the administration for the decision to deploy numerous agents to Minnesota without adequate provisions for the ensuing legal challenges. Judge Schiltz remarked, “This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents 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.”
Judge Schiltz’s order arrives shortly after President Donald Trump appointed border czar Tom Homan to spearhead the immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. This decision came in the wake of a second fatality involving immigration law enforcement officers, which intensified scrutiny on federal immigration operations.
In a televised interview, President Trump mentioned having “great calls” with Minnesota officials, Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of his response to the ongoing situation.
The White House has previously attributed the unrest stemming from immigration raids to Democratic leadership. However, following the recent death of Alex Pretti and subsequent video evidence suggesting he posed no active threat, Homan was tasked to manage the situation, replacing Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.
Judge Schiltz’s recent order aligns with a federal court hearing held on Monday, prompted by Minnesota state and city officials seeking a judicial pause on the immigration enforcement surge. Although the judge prioritized the ruling, a timeline for her decision was not provided.
Judge Schiltz acknowledged the unusual nature of personally summoning a federal agency head, stating, “But the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed.” He further noted that despite assurances from respondents to honor court orders, violations continued.
The court’s order was issued in response to a petition by Juan T.R., a detainee who was promised a bond hearing within seven days—a promise that remained unfulfilled as of January 23. Juan T.R., identified as an Ecuadorian national who arrived in the United States around 1999, remains in custody. Should his release occur, Lyons’ court appearance will be called off.
Efforts to obtain comments from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security were unanswered as of Tuesday. The Associated Press has reached out for their responses.
