The chief federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear in court this week, saying the Trump administration has repeatedly failed to comply with court orders requiring bond hearings for detained immigrants.
In an order dated Monday (Jan 26), Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz directed Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, to appear personally before the court on Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt. Schiltz sharply criticised the administration’s handling of immigration detentions in Minnesota, particularly the lack of timely bond hearings.
“This Court has been extremely patient with respondents,” Schiltz wrote, “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.”
The order came a day after President Donald Trump directed border czar Tom Homan to take charge of the administration’s immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, following the second fatal shooting this month involving a federal immigration officer. In an interview broadcast Tuesday, Trump said he had “great calls” with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, echoing remarks he made immediately after speaking with them.
Asked whether the killing of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday was justified, Trump said a “big investigation” was under way. Walz’s office said the Democratic governor met with Homan and urged impartial investigations into the shootings. The two agreed to continue discussions, according to the governor’s statement.
The White House had earlier blamed Democratic leaders for protests against federal immigration raids. However, after Pretti’s killing and the emergence of videos suggesting he did not pose an active threat, the administration reassigned oversight of the Minnesota operation from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino to Homan.
Immigration agents remained active across the Twin Cities region on Tuesday, though it was unclear whether enforcement tactics had changed. Streets appeared largely quiet in parts of south Minneapolis and nearby areas where unmarked convoys of agents have been frequently seen in recent weeks.
Schiltz’s order also follows a separate federal court hearing on Monday, where the state of Minnesota and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul sought a halt to the immigration enforcement surge. The judge said she would prioritise a ruling but did not set a timeline.
Calling his action “extraordinary,” Schiltz said it was justified by ICE’s continued noncompliance. “Lesser measures have been tried and failed,” he wrote.
The order cites the case of a detained Ecuadorian man identified as Juan T.R., whose court-ordered bond hearing has not yet taken place. Schiltz said he would cancel Lyons’ appearance if the petitioner is released.
