ICE Blasted by Minneapolis Judge for Violating 96 Orders

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

January 28, 2026 at 7:07 PM EST
Updated on January 29, 2026 at 11:59 AM EST


A federal judge in Minnesota sharply criticized US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for violating court orders almost 100 times in 74 cases brought by immigrants so far this year, while saying the actual number is “almost certainly” far higher. “ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” Chief US District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said in a court order Wednesday in Minneapolis.

The judge issued the finding in one of dozens of lawsuits filed by individuals seeking to be released from detention amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants in Minnesota. Operation Metro Surge, as its known, has led to thousands of arrests and protests across the nation following the shooting deaths of two US citizens by federal agents.

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the government “will continue to enforce the laws of the United States within all applicable constitutional guidelines.” “We will not be deterred by activists either in the streets or on the bench,” McLaughlin said.

The judge’s criticism comes just as the Trump administration faces a separate challenge by Minnesota’s attorney general, who seeks to bring Operation Metro Surge to an end, as well as a separate suit by protesters seeking to restrict ICE’s aggressive crowd-control tactics. In both cases, federal immigration officials have been accused of widespread violations of Constitutional protections.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-29/ice-blasted-by-minneapolis-judge-for-violating-scores-of-orders?srnd=phx-politics

---

No paywall (gift)

REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143606002
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143606516