Chief Federal Judge In MN Orders ICE Head To Personally Explain 'Violations'

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minnesota's chief federal judge said the Trump administration 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 Friday to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt.

Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, must appear personally in court. Schiltz took the administration to task over its handling of bond hearings for immigrants it has detained.

Schiltz was appointed as a federal judge by President George W. Bush in 2006.

“This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” the judge wrote.

Schiltz wrote that he recognizes ordering the head of a federal agency to appear personally is extraordinary. “But the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed,” he said.

“Respondents have continually assured the Court that they recognize their obligation to comply with Court orders, and that they have taken steps to ensure that those orders will be honored going forward,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, though, the violations continue.”

The order comes after Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and "some" of the federal agents under his command are being pulled out of Minnesota in the aftermath of Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

Bovino had become the most visible face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in the state, but according to CNN, administration officials grew increasingly frustrated with his public handling of the fallout, particularly statements suggesting Pretti intended to carry out a mass attack on law enforcement.

Sources told CNN those appearances compounded political damage rather than containing it, prompting internal discussions about removing Bovino from the Minneapolis operation.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Bovino’s departure is part of a broader reassessment by the White House as legal challenges and public protests escalate.

Trump open to de-escalation after Pretti's killing

President Donald Trump on Monday indicated he is open to reducing the federal footprint in Minnesota and has tapped border czar Tom Homan to serve as the administration’s primary point person on the ground.

Trump praised a phone call with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, saying the two leaders were "on a similar wavelength" and shared a desire to work together on issues facing the state.

In a social media post, Trump said Walz had called him “with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota,” describing the conversation as “very good.”

"The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future," Trump wrote. "He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!"

Trump said Tom Homan, the White House "border czar," would be in contact with Walz and reiterated that his administration is focused on addressing criminal activity, adding that both leaders "want to make it better."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also said Monday he spoke directly with Trump and pressed for an end to Operation Metro Surge, calling the current federal presence unsustainable.

In a public statement, Frey said Trump agreed the situation "cannot continue" and confirmed that some federal agents will begin leaving the area Tuesday.

Frey said Minneapolis will continue cooperating with state and federal authorities on criminal investigations but will not assist with what he described as unconstitutional arrests or the enforcement of federal immigration law.

The mayor said he plans to meet Tuesday with Homan to discuss next steps as the city continues pushing for a full end to the operation.

ALSO READ:

• Feds Can’t Destroy Evidence, For Now, In Killing Of Minneapolis Resident Alex Pretti: Judge
• Alex Pretti's Final Moments: Videos Show Details Of Border Patrol Shooting
• Border Patrol Commander, ‘Some’ Agents To Exit MN After Alex Pretti Shooting: Reports

Reporting from the Assocaited Press was used in this story.