U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has defied 96 federal court orders in Minnesota alone spanning 74 different cases this month, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court said Wednesday.
Judge Patrick Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, delivered the count as part of a severe scolding to the government’s deportation agency, saying it has become far too loose with its adherence to the law.
“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” he said in an order.
Judge Schiltz had delivered a shot to ICE earlier this week after it had failed to release an illegal immigrant whom the court had ordered freed.
He threatened to call Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, to come testify personally about the problems unless the release was carried out.
On Wednesday, ICE notified the court that it had released the migrant, Juan Tobay Robles.
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But Judge Schiltz said that wasn’t the end of the matter.
He asked the federal judges in Minnesota to compile a list of cases where ICE has similarly defied orders — usually release orders, as in the case of Mr. Tobay Robles — and came up with the startling count.
The Washington Times has sought comment from Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
Judge Schiltz warned the agency that future noncompliance could result in Mr. Lyons having to come testify.
“ICE is not a law unto itself. ICE has every right to challenge the orders of this court, but, like any litigant, ICE must follow those orders unless and until they are overturned or vacated,” he wrote.
In his earlier ruling, he scolded the government for being unprepared for all of the fallout from its immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
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Thousands of federal officers have been deployed, tallying more than 3,000 arrests through Jan. 19.
Lawyers have moved quickly to try to free hundreds of those migrants, filing what’s known as “habeas corpus” petitions. Those are narrow but powerful challenges to someone’s detention.
More than 400 have been filed in Minnesota in January alone.
Judges have been overwhelmingly sympathetic to the petitions, ordering release of migrants or, at least, to give them a bond hearing.
Court files show a number of instances in which ICE has been slow to follow through on the releases and hearings.
