Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons speaks at a press conference at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse on June 2, 2025. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
"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.
Large crowds flood Minneapolis to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the Alex Jeffrey Pretti shooting. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
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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.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-threatens-contempt-ice-leader-orders-him-appear-court