Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz castigated ICE for what he called a pattern of court-order violations tied to Operation Metro Surge and attached a list of nearly 100 alleged infractions. Although he had ordered ICE acting director Todd Lyons to appear on possible contempt charges, that hearing was called off after an affected detainee was released. Other federal judges in Minnesota have similarly pushed back, and parallel lawsuits — including a state-and-city challenge and a class action — remain active.
Judge Rebukes ICE for Widespread Court-Order Violations, Cancels Demand That Director Appear
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz of Minneapolis sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for what he described as a recent, widespread pattern of defying judicial orders tied to Operation Metro Surge — but he cancelled a planned hearing that would have required the agency’s acting director to appear in court.
Judge's Finding and Attached List
In a four-page order issued Wednesday, Schiltz said the agency had repeatedly violated court orders in ways that infringed on the rights of immigrants facing deportation proceedings. He attached what he described as a list of nearly 100 court orders purportedly violated in the Twin Cities area over the past month, calling the conduct an unprecedented pattern of defiance.
“ICE is not a law unto itself,” Schiltz wrote.
Related Orders and Judicial Pushback
Several federal judges in Minnesota have echoed similar concerns about ICE's compliance. Minutes after Schiltz’s order, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim — a Clinton appointee — backed an emergency effort to bar ICE from targeting thousands of refugees who lawfully reside in Minnesota but remain in the process of obtaining permanent residency. Tunheim ordered the government to release anyone detained on that basis and to return to Minnesota anyone who had been transferred out of state.
Contempt Hearing Called Off After Release
Schiltz had initially ordered ICE acting director Todd Lyons to appear Friday in connection with a possible contempt proceeding arising from the agency’s handling of one detainee’s case. Judge Schiltz’s directive followed an instance in which ICE delayed compliance with a court order to release an Ecuadorian man, Juan Tobay Robles. On Wednesday, Robles’ attorney, Graham Ojala-Barbour, confirmed that his client had been released, mooting the immediate need for the hearing.
Ojala-Barbour said he welcomed further opportunities to pursue accountability and to ensure the rule of law is upheld in Minnesota’s immigration cases.
Ongoing Lawsuits
Legal challenges tied to federal immigration operations in Minnesota continue. State and city officials have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the surge, which is under consideration by another federal judge in Minneapolis. Separately, a class-action complaint filed Wednesday alleges that ICE violated the constitutional rights of thousands of immigration detainees who were held recently at a makeshift detention facility inside a major federal building in Minneapolis.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court actions signal intensified judicial scrutiny of ICE’s local operations and compliance with court orders as the litigation proceeds.
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