Judge threatens contempt for ICE leader, orders him to appear in court

A Minnesota judge has summoned acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons to appear in court on Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt for allegedly violating a previous order.

A habeas petition on behalf of a detainee, identified in the order as Juan T.R., was granted on Jan. 14, 2026. The judge ordered the respondents to hold a bond hearing for T.R. within seven days, warning that if no hearing was held within that timeframe, the detainee was to be “immediately released.” The new order, which is dated Jan. 26, states that on Jan. 23 T.R.’s counsel notified the court that a hearing had not been held and that he remained in custody.

The new order, which was issued on Monday, calls on Lyons to appear in court on Friday at 1:00 p.m. local time “to show cause why he should not be held in contempt for violating the Court’s January 14, 2026, order.” However, Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said the court would call off the hearing if ICE released T.R. ahead of Friday afternoon.

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“This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” Schiltz wrote. “The Court’s patience is at an end. Accordingly, the Court will order Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court.”

Schiltz claimed that the respondents — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Lyons, DHS and acting director of ICE’s St. Paul office, David Easterwood — have said that they have assured the Court that they understand their obligation to comply with Court orders. However, the judge added that despite the assurances, violations have continued.

In the order, Schiltz acknowledges that ordering Lyons “to personally appear is an extraordinary step,” but said that “the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary.” The judge also claimed that “lesser measures” had been tried and failed.

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Federal immigration enforcement authorities have been under increasing pressure in Minnesota following two fatal shootings this month. The first shooting occurred on Jan. 7 and left 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good dead. This sparked a wave of demonstrations, with agitators confronting federal law enforcement throughout Minnesota. It also drew the scrutiny of Minnesota leaders, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, among others.

On Saturday, a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse. Pretti was shot during an immigration enforcement operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault for intentional conflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license.

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Homeland Security officials said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9 mm pistol and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him. Pretti’s family disputed the Trump administration’s assertion that he was holding a firearm.

“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family wrote in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.