Minnesota Judge Orders ICE to Court Over Detainee Violations

A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and Department of Justice representatives to appear in court to explain repeated violations of orders related to the release of immigrant detainees, marking the latest in a series of judicial rebukes against the agency. The directive, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan in St. Paul, consolidates 28 cases stemming from Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement action that brought about 3,000 agents to the state and resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, according to Department of Homeland Security figures.

The operation, launched in early 2026, targeted immigrants without legal status under a federal interpretation that allows warrantless arrests and detention as if individuals were apprehended at the border, a stance courts in Minnesota and elsewhere have rejected in hundreds of habeas corpus petitions. Judges have consistently ruled such detentions unlawful, ordering prompt releases. However, federal officials have frequently failed to comply fully, including by delaying releases, withholding personal belongings such as cash, cellphones, identification...