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ICE leader faces contempt threat over compliance
A judge in Minnesota is demanding answers from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons over failed hearings for detained immigrants, ordering him to appear in court on Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt as the Trump administration has not complied with court orders for several immigrant bond hearings even after multiple warnings.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A federal judge threatened to bring the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Minnesota this week because of the government's noncompliance with court orders.
Detainee released after judge's order threatening to bring Lyons to MN
Why you should care:
The judge accused ICE of denying detainees due process, and gave the federal government the rest of the week to free a detainee connected to the case ahead of a hearing scheduled for Friday in Minneapolis. The court granted the detainee's petition to be released on Jan. 14, but on Jan. 23 the petitioner remained detained, according to their lawyer.
The detainee was released shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the detainee's lawyer told FOX 9, a day after the judge's order threatening to bring ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to Minnesota if the detainee wasn't released.
Judge's order in detainee's case
The backstory:
In a court order on Monday, Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said Lyons must appear in court on Friday in Minneapolis, stating the Trump administration has failed to comply with orders to hold hearings for immigrants who are detained. Lyons was expected to explain why he shouldn't be held in contempt.
The judge wrote in part, "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 also wrote: "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. Unfortunately, though, the violations continue."
The order gave the government the rest of the week to free the detainee connected to the case, at which point the judge could cancel the hearing.
Dig deeper:
This order comes a day after President Donald Trump ordered White House Border Czar Tom Homan to take over Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota days after federal agents were involved in a second fatal shooting in January.
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and some federal agents are expected to leave Minnesota on Tuesday.