MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — In a decisive move, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz has ordered Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to appear in court this Friday. The judge's order follows the Trump administration's failure to hold necessary bond hearings for detained immigrants, raising serious concerns over the treatment of individuals in custody.
In an order issued earlier this week, Judge Schiltz criticized the administration's approach, stating that it had sent agents to Minnesota to detain immigrants without adequate measures for addressing the resulting legal petitions. He noted, This Court has been extremely patient with respondents; however, responses have continually assured the Court 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 court's frustrations were compounded following a directive from President Trump, entrusting Tom Homan with managing the crackdown on immigration in the aftermath of a recent incident involving the death of an individual detained by immigration officers.
Following an immigration petition filed on January 14, the court ordered a bond hearing within a week. By January 23, it was noted that the petitioner remained in detention, leading to Judge Schiltz's extraordinary decision to summon the head of a federal agency personally.
The judge remarked on the unprecedented nature of this order, reflecting the serious nature of ICE's ongoing recalcitrance regarding court mandates. He indicated that unless the detained individual is released, Lyons must present himself in court to address why he should not be held in contempt for the agency's failures.
