As the Trump administration continues its fight to fix the Democrat-caused problems in Minnesota, an activist judge is seeking to impede Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s operations in a move even he acknowledges will likely escalate the conflict.
In a self-admittedly “extraordinary step,” Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the U.S. District of Minnesota has ordered the personal appearance of acting ICE Director Todd Lyons in court later this week.
‘This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens.’
In an order dated Monday, Schiltz threatened to hold Lyons in contempt for failing to comply with a court order earlier this month in a case involving an alien.
The order also names Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and St. Paul ICE field office acting Director David Easterwood as respondents to the case.
Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images
The specific case in question involves petitioner Juan T.R., who was owed a bond hearing within seven days of a January 14 habeas petition, the judge indicated. Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, noted that by January 23, the petitioner had not received a bond hearing and “remains detained.”
The order stated that federal immigration law enforcement had not complied with other similar court orders, resulting in “significant hardship to aliens.” The judge further claimed that “many of” these aliens “have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for years and done absolutely nothing wrong.”
“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,” the order continued.
The court wrote that the “violations continue” in many cases. As a result, the order added:
The Court’s patience is at an end. Accordingly, the Court will order Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court. 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.
The order concludes, however, that if the petitioner is released from custody, Lyons will not be required to appear before the court.
The hearing is currently scheduled for Friday. Blaze News reached out to ICE for comment.
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Politics, Ice, Dhs, Minnesota, Democrats, Kristi noem, David easterwood, Us district court, Immigration and customs enforcement, Activist judge, Us district judge patrick schlitz
