Minneapolis, Minnesota — A federal judge with deep conservative legal credentials sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, accusing the agency of repeatedly ignoring court orders in Minnesota and undermining the rule of law.
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and an appointee of President George W. Bush, issued a blistering order after ICE failed to comply with multiple judicial directives. Although Schiltz canceled a planned contempt hearing after ICE released a detainee known as Juan T.R., he made clear that the agency’s conduct remained deeply troubling.
In an appendix attached to his ruling, Schiltz identified 96 court orders that ICE allegedly violated across 74 separate cases. He wrote that the list likely understates the full scope of noncompliance and said the pattern should concern “anyone — no matter his or her political beliefs — who cares about the rule of law.”
The immediate dispute stemmed from ICE’s failure to follow a January 14 order requiring a timely bond hearing for Juan T.R., who Schiltz said remained in custody days later. In a related order earlier this week, Schiltz faulted ICE leadership for imposing “significant hardship” on Minnesota residents, including individuals who have legally lived and worked in the United States for years.
Schiltz also described detainees being transferred to distant facilities or released far from home without assistance, creating additional strain for families and communities already affected by aggressive federal immigration enforcement.
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