A prominent federal judge in Minnesota has recently criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for ignoring nearly 100 judicial orders within a single month, making a strong statement about the agency's accountability. In a formal court document, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz emphasized, "This situation should raise concerns for everyone—regardless of their political views—who values the rule of law."
Judge Schiltz pointed out that ICE has potentially breached more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have throughout their entire history. He announced plans for a hearing where Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, would need to justify why he shouldn't be held in contempt of court due to these repeated violations of judicial directives.
The judge expressed serious concerns, warning that if ICE continues to disregard federal court orders, he may require Lyons or other officials to personally appear in court to explain their actions. "ICE is not above the law," Schiltz asserted, clearly stating that although ICE has the right to contest court orders, they must adhere to them until they are officially overturned.
The cases in question involved habeas corpus petitions challenging the legality of individuals' detentions. The severity of the judge's remarks came just as he decided to cancel the contempt hearing for Lyons, which had been scheduled for Friday. This hearing would have required Lyons to address why federal officials failed to conduct a bond hearing for a detained immigrant, an action Judge Schiltz had previously mandated.
The immigrant, Juan Hugo Tobay Robles, was released from custody in Texas just one day after the judge set the hearing date. His attorney, Graham Ojala-Barbour, stated that a supporter of Tobay Robles traveled from Minnesota to Texas and was on their way back to reunite him with his family and resume necessary medical care.
Ojala-Barbour added that pursuing a contempt proceeding might still be warranted due to the government's failure to comply with the earlier court order regarding the bond hearing. However, Judge Schiltz indicated that if he received confirmation of Tobay Robles’ release before the hearing, he would not require Lyons to appear in court. Following this, the judge confirmed on Wednesday that the hearing would be canceled, stating, "As promised, the Court will cancel the hearing, and Lyons will not be required to appear."
Schiltz also mentioned that if Tobay Robles wished to seek financial penalties against ICE, he could submit the appropriate motion to the court. Nevertheless, the judge reiterated his ongoing concerns, detailing that there were 96 court orders that ICE had neglected in 74 different cases since January 1, 2026, and believed that this figure likely understates the true extent of ICE's noncompliance.
He noted that the list was quickly compiled by busy judges and acknowledged that some orders might have been overlooked. When approached for comments, Ojala-Barbour confirmed the stipulation regarding Tobay Robles’ release but did not provide further remarks. Both ICE and the U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota had not responded to requests for comments at the time of this report.
In his previous order demanding Lyons’ court appearance, Schiltz described this requirement as an extraordinary measure. He highlighted the extensive patience the court had shown toward ICE, especially as the agency deployed thousands of agents to Minnesota without adequately addressing the numerous habeas petitions and lawsuits that would inevitably arise.
The uptick in ICE and other federal agents in Minneapolis correlates with the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to apprehend undocumented immigrants across the state. Recently, two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot in separate incidents involving federal agents, prompting widespread outrage regarding the administration's stringent immigration policies and enforcement tactics.
