Minnesota Judge Orders Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief to Appear in Court

Federal Judge Orders ICE Head to Appear in Court

A Minnesota federal judge has ordered Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to appear before him on Friday. The order comes after Chief Judge Patrick J Schiltz expressed concerns over the agency’s handling of bond hearings for immigrants it has detained.

The court order was issued on Monday, following a request by the state and local officials for a halt to the immigration law enforcement surge in Minneapolis and St Paul. Immigration agents remained active in both cities despite the request.

Lyons is required to appear in court to explain ICE’s actions regarding bond hearings for immigrants it has detained. The court had previously granted a petition from Juan TR, a citizen of Ecuador who arrived in the US around 1999, to provide him with a bond hearing within seven days. However, by January 23, Juan’s lawyers informed the court that he remained detained.

The order notes that Schiltz recognizes ordering the head of a federal agency to appear personally is extraordinary, but emphasizes that ICE’s failure to comply with court orders is also noteworthy. The court will cancel Lyons’ appearance if the petitioner is released from custody.

This development follows recent protests in Minnesota over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which have led to the deployment of thousands of agents to detain immigrants without providing adequate provision for handling habeas petitions and other lawsuits.

Source: Al Jazeera