A federal judge in Minneapolis sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for repeatedly failing to follow court orders in lawsuits filed by people arrested during the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said the government has not complied with nearly 100 court orders since January 1 across dozens of cases, warning that agencies can challenge rulings but must obey them unless they’re overturned.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back, with spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin calling the judge’s remarks activist, while Stephen Miller also criticized the court’s intervention. Schiltz—appointed by George W. Bush and a former clerk to Antonin Scalia—briefly ordered ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons to appear to explain possible contempt, but canceled the hearing after the person in that case was released. He also disclosed donations to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.