The top federal judge in Minnesota has stated that the Trump administration has not followed orders to conduct hearings for detained immigrants and has directed the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear before him on Friday to provide an explanation to avoid contempt charges.
Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz issued an order on Monday, highlighting concerns about the administration’s handling of bond hearings for detained immigrants. He criticized the administration for deploying “thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without proper preparation for addressing the expected influx of habeas petitions and lawsuits.”
This order comes after U.S. President Donald Trump assigned border czar Tom Homan to lead the immigration crackdown in Minnesota following a second fatal incident involving an immigration law enforcement officer this month.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota called for impartial investigations into the recent shootings involving federal officers and emphasized the importance of ongoing discussions with Homan. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara also had a productive meeting with Homan.
The White House initially blamed Democratic leaders for protests against federal officers conducting immigration raids. However, following the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of a Border Patrol officer and amid video evidence suggesting he posed no immediate threat, Homan was appointed to oversee operations in Minnesota.
There is uncertainty regarding potential changes in tactics by immigration agents in the Twin Cities region after the White House’s shift in approach. While some areas in south Minneapolis remained quiet, sightings of immigration agents were reported in northeast Minneapolis and the suburb of Little Canada.
Schiltz’s order follows a federal court hearing where the state and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul requested a halt to the immigration law enforcement surge. The judge acknowledged the extraordinary nature of summoning the head of a federal agency but emphasized the significant violations of court orders by ICE.
Efforts to reach ICE and a DHS spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful as of Tuesday. The order mentioned a petitioner named Juan T.R. who was granted a bond hearing within seven days but remained detained as of Friday. If the petitioner is released from custody, Lyons’s appearance will be canceled, as per the order.