Minnesota judge holds lawyer for DOJ in contempt as tensions flare over immigration cases
Source: CBS News
Updated on: February 19, 2026 / 1:33 AM EST / CBS News
A Minnesota federal judge ordered a government attorney to be held in civil contempt of court for violating an order requiring the Justice Department to turn over identification documents to a man who was ordered released from ICE custody, further escalating tension between the judiciary and Trump administration over immigration cases.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino ordered the attorney, Matthew Isihara, to pay $500 each day until the petitioner's identification documents are returned to him. Isihara is a military attorney currently detailed to assist the Justice Department as a special U.S. attorney, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The plaintiff, Rigoberto Soto Jimenez, was arrested in mid-January, part of a monthslong immigration crackdown in Minnesota. On Feb. 9, after the man sued for his release, Provinzino ordered Soto Jimene to be released from ICE custody, finding that he was unlawfully detained because immigration officials did not have an administrative warrant to justify his detention.
She ordered his release "without imposing any conditions of release" and ordered "all property" to be returned to him. She also said he must be released in Minnesota, where court documents show he has lived since 2018 with his lawful permanent resident spouse.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-judge-holds-lawyer-for-doj-in-contempt-as-tensions-flare-over-immigration-cases/
Link to contempt ORDER - https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72221590/soto-jimenez-v-bondi/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc#entry-12
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According to the ruling, by Judge Laura M. Provinzino of Federal District Court in Minnesota, the government failed to return “identification documents” belonging to Rigoberto Soto Jimenez, a detained immigrant whom she had ordered to be released with all of his property returned.
The judge ordered a $500 daily fine imposed on Matthew Isihara, an administration lawyer, for each day the documents are not returned, beginning on Friday.
The government’s lack of respect for court rulings stemming from such petitions has been raised by judges in the District of Minnesota, where the chief judge compiled a list of nearly 100 violations of court orders in habeas cases since Jan. 1, and in New Jersey, where the Justice Department admitted 52 violations since Dec. 5.
