Federal Judge Orders ICE Chief to Appear in Court for Non-Compliance
Federal Judge Orders ICE Chief to Appear in Court for Non-Compliance
A chief federal judge in Minnesota has taken the extraordinary step of ordering the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, to appear in person this Friday.
The summons comes as a direct response to what the court describes as the agency’s repeated defiance of judicial orders regarding the detention of immigrants during “Operation Metro Surge.”
Judge Patrick Schiltz issued the order after the Trump administration failed to comply with dozens of previous mandates, specifically involving a case where a detainee was not granted a court-ordered bond hearing. The judge warned that Lyons could be held in contempt of court if he fails to explain the agency’s lack of compliance.
The legal standoff has intensified as Minnesota remains a focal point of federal immigration enforcement actions.
Schiltz noted that while the court has tried to be accommodating, the volume of violations has become impossible to ignore, especially given the influx of thousands of agents into the state.
Addressing the gravity of the situation, Judge Schiltz wrote: “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 been tried and failed.”
Beyond individual bond hearings, the court expressed frustration over the broader logistical impact of the federal surge. Schiltz highlighted that the administration sent a massive force to Minnesota without making any provisions for the predictable wave of habeas petitions and lawsuits that would inevitably follow such aggressive enforcement.
The judge further remarked that the “practical consequence” of these failures has been “significant hardship” for individuals, many of whom have lived and worked lawfully in the United States for years. The court indicated that its patience has officially reached its limit after weeks of unfulfilled promises from federal officials.
While the hearing is set for Friday, the judge offered a path for Lyons to avoid the appearance: if the specific detainee at the center of the current dispute is released from custody, the hearing will be canceled.
However, as of Tuesday, the administration had not yet filed the necessary paperwork to confirm such a release.
