In brief
Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of Minnesota has ordered Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, to appear in court after the agency allegedly failed to conduct bond hearings for detained immigrants as mandated by the court. This follows renewed scrutiny of immigration policies under the Trump administration, especially following two recent deaths in custody. The judge expresses frustration over ICE's repeated failures to comply with judicial directives, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the situation.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) — The chief federal judge in Minnesota says the Trump administration has failed to comply with orders to hold hearings for detained immigrants and ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear before him. Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz issued an order mandating that Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, must appear personally in court this Friday to confront allegations of contempt.
In a Monday order, Schiltz criticized the government's handling of bond hearings for detained immigrants, stating, This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though they decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result. This drastic step follows President Trump's latest directive appointing Tom Homan to oversee immigration enforcement in the region.
Judge Schiltz, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, noted that previous measures to ensure compliance have failed. He specifically referenced a case from January 14, where a petitioner, identified only as Juan T.R., was granted a hearing that never transpired, leading to further frustrations with ICE's management of detained individuals. The judge has indicated that he will cancel the hearing if the petitioner is released before then, emphasizing that ICE must be held accountable for its failings.
