Jan 27 - The chief judge of the federal court in Minnesota has ordered the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in person on Friday to address the agency’s failure to comply with a series of court orders issued in recent weeks. The order, filed late Monday, directs acting ICE director Todd Lyons to explain why he should not be held in contempt of court after the agency missed a deadline to provide a detainee with a bond hearing.
In his filing, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz criticized the agency’s preparations for enforcement operations in Minnesota, noting that the courts anticipated litigation would follow. "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," Schiltz wrote. "The court’s patience is at an end."
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday. Schiltz said the scheduled Friday appearance by the acting director will be canceled if the detainee in question is released before then.
Schiltz, who presides in Minneapolis, was appointed to the federal bench by Republican President George W. Bush. His recent order comes amid public protests criticizing ICE tactics used in enforcement actions that accompany the current administration’s immigration policies.
Authorities have reported that ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in separate enforcement actions in Minneapolis earlier this month. The individuals named in reports are Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The judge’s directive, and the prospect of contempt proceedings, follows the broader wave of litigation and public concern tied to recent enforcement activities in the state.
Context and next steps:
- The court has scheduled a Friday hearing for the acting ICE director to appear in person unless the detainee is released beforehand.
- The filing specifically ties the potential contempt finding to missed court-ordered deadlines, including the failure to provide a bond hearing.
- No immediate response from the Department of Homeland Security was available on Tuesday.