A federal judge says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has violated nearly 100 court orders this month alone, highlighting the serious concerns about the agency’s judicial compliance amid its surge in Minnesota.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz wrote in an order Wednesday that ICE “has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”
Earlier this week, Schiltz ordered ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, to personally appear in Minnesota court to answer to his agency’s repeated issues with compliance. However, when ICE released an individual the agency was wrongfully detaining, Schiltz canceled that hearing.
“That does not end the Court’s concerns, however,” Schiltz wrote, warning that even though Lyons won’t be required to personally appear this time, further instances of noncompliance may change that.
The chief judge noted that a “hurriedly compiled” list shows at least 96 instances of ICE violating court orders in 74 cases just in January, and he says there are surely others.
“This list should give pause to anyone — no matter his or her political beliefs — who cares about the rule of law,” Schiltz wrote, adding, “ICE is not a law unto itself. … ICE must follow those orders unless and until they are overturned or vacated.”
