A federal judge in Minnesota on Monday threatened to hold the acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director in contempt for repeatedly ignoring court orders in immigration-related cases.
Chief U.S District Judge Patrick Schiltz ordered acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear in court this Friday to answer questions in the case of Juan Tobay Robles, who was arrested by federal immigration agents in Minnesota earlier this month.
Schiltz wants Lyons to explain why Tobay Robles was not given a bond hearing or otherwise been released from detention within seven days of the judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to provide him that hearing, or release him.
“This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply in recent weeks,” Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote.
He added later, “The Court’s patience is at an end. The Court acknowledges that ordering the head of a federal agency to personally appear is an extraordinary step, but the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed.”
Schiltz said he will hold a hearing Friday at 1:00 p.m. in Minneapolis, where Lyons “must appear in person to show cause why he should not be held in contempt for violating the Court’s January 14, 2026, order.”
If the parties file a notice indicating that if Tobay Robles has been released from custody before the hearing, the judge said that the court will cancel the hearing and will not require Lyons to appear.
NBC News reached out to ICE and Tobay Robles’ attorney for comment.
