"The hearing came after a string of similar rulings also noted by Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz, who weeks earlier had accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of violating 96 court orders in 74 separate cases. Schiltz went so far as to order ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to appear in person to explain why he should not be held in contempt, although he canceled the hearing after the agency released the detainee in question. That does not end the Court's concerns, he wrote at the time."
"A phrase uttered in a federal courtroom has become emblematic of the current state of the U.S. immigration system. The system sucks. This job sucks, said Julie Le, a federal government attorney, before a judge visibly exasperated by repeated violations of court orders during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Le, an attorney with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota since January, appeared Tuesday before District Judge Jerry Blackwell to explain why the government had ignored deadlines and orders requiring the immediate release of several immigrants detained during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota."
"A court order is not advisory, and it is not conditional, Blackwell warned during the hearing in St. Paul. It is not something that any agency can treat as optional. The judge emphasized that behind every violation there are people deprived of their liberty, handcuffed and imprisoned, even after a court has ordered their release."
Federal government attorneys acknowledged internal exhaustion and failures amid an immigration crackdown that led to wrongful detentions. Several individuals with no criminal records were arrested during Operation Metro Surge and remained detained for days despite court orders for immediate release. District Judge Jerry Blackwell warned that court orders are not optional and emphasized the human liberty harmed by violations. Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz documented dozens of court-order violations by ICE and pursued contempt proceedings before an agency release. The sequence of rulings underscores repeated enforcement failures and ongoing court concerns about compliance.
Read at english.elpais.com
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