U.S. judge orders ICE chief to appear in court, threatens contempt ruling
Source: Washington Post
January 27, 2026 at 8:22 a.m. EST
Minnesota's chief federal judge has demanded the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personally appear in court Friday to explain what the judge described as repeated failures to comply with dozens of court orders amid its enforcement efforts in the state.
"The court's patience is at an end," U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz wrote in a remarkable filing late Monday, summoning acting ICE director Todd M. Lyons to his courtroom. The judge threatened possible contempt proceedings against Lyons over several instances in which Schiltz said the agency failed to grant detained immigrants bond hearings that had been ordered by judges in Minneapolis.
The court's order set up a yet another potential showdown between the federal judiciary and Trump administration officials, who have sought to paint judges who question their tactics as "liberal activists."
It was not clear Tuesday whether Lyons would comply with the order to appear or whether Justice Department attorneys would seek to block it in court. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/27/ice-federal-judge-contempt/
No paywall (gift)
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171.7.0.pdf
Shrub judge.
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