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Another federal judge just *roasted* DHS - and I'm not exaggerating.
The chief judge of the District of Minnesota, Patrick Schiltz, a Bush appointee generally considered to be relatively conservative, issued an order like nothing I've ever seen from a court before. I can imagine the physical paper copy blackening and curling up at the edges.
https://www.twincities.com/2026/02/26/a-chief-judge-warns-minnesotas-top-prosecutor-and-ice-obey-court-orders-or-face-contempt/
No paywall https://www.twincities.com/2026/02/26/a-chief-judge-warns-minnesotas-top-prosecutor-and-ice-obey-court-orders-or-face-contempt/?share=deen2m2sismfncabucaw
Increasingly, this Court has had to resort to using the threat of civil contempt to force ICE to comply with orders. ...The Court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt — again and again and again — to force the United States government to comply with court orders....
As noted, Rosen asserted in his email that “[t]he lawyers in my civil division didnʹt deserve” the supposedly inaccurate January 28 order. Putting aside the fact that the January 28 order was not inaccurate, Rosen failed to mention that this Court said the following in the show‐cause order that preceded the January 28 order:
The Court expresses its appreciation to attorney Ana Voss and her colleagues [in the civil division], who have struggled mightily to ensure that respondents comply with court orders despite the fact that respondents have failed to provide them with adequate resources.
The judges of this District have been extraordinarily patient with the government attorneys, recognizing that they have been put in an impossible position by Rosen and his superiors in the Department of Justice (leading many of those attorneys—including, unfortunately, Ana Voss—to resign). What those attorneys “didn’t deserve” was the Administration sending 3000 ICE agents to Minnesota to detain people without making any provision for handling the hundreds of lawsuits that were sure to follow.
....
If anything is “beyond the pale,” it is ICE’s continued violation of the orders of this Court. Increasingly, this Court has had to resort to using the threat of civil contempt to force ICE to comply with orders. The Court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt—again and again and again—to force the United States government to comply with court orders.
This Court will continue to do whatever is required to protect the rule of law, including, if necessary, moving to the use of criminal contempt. One way or another, ICE will comply with this Court’s orders.
As noted, Rosen asserted in his email that “[t]he lawyers in my civil division didnʹt deserve” the supposedly inaccurate January 28 order. Putting aside the fact that the January 28 order was not inaccurate, Rosen failed to mention that this Court said the following in the show‐cause order that preceded the January 28 order:
The Court expresses its appreciation to attorney Ana Voss and her colleagues [in the civil division], who have struggled mightily to ensure that respondents comply with court orders despite the fact that respondents have failed to provide them with adequate resources.
The judges of this District have been extraordinarily patient with the government attorneys, recognizing that they have been put in an impossible position by Rosen and his superiors in the Department of Justice (leading many of those attorneys—including, unfortunately, Ana Voss—to resign). What those attorneys “didn’t deserve” was the Administration sending 3000 ICE agents to Minnesota to detain people without making any provision for handling the hundreds of lawsuits that were sure to follow.
....
If anything is “beyond the pale,” it is ICE’s continued violation of the orders of this Court. Increasingly, this Court has had to resort to using the threat of civil contempt to force ICE to comply with orders. The Court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt—again and again and again—to force the United States government to comply with court orders.
This Court will continue to do whatever is required to protect the rule of law, including, if necessary, moving to the use of criminal contempt. One way or another, ICE will comply with this Court’s orders.
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/27422498/chief-judge-patrick-schiltz-order.pdf
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