TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TARGETS MINNESOTA JUDGES OVER ICE RAID CRITICISM
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The US Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to investigate and sanction seven federal judges in Minnesota who spoke publicly about aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids carried out in the state.
The department’s action marks the latest development in an escalating dispute between the Trump administration and federal judges who have challenged aspects of the administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.
The controversy followed a September 17 report by The New York Times that quoted Patrick Schiltz, chief judge of Minnesota’s federal district court, and six other judges about the turmoil surrounding ICE raids in Minneapolis during the winter.
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Schiltz had previously attracted attention for publicly stating that ICE likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than any other federal agency had violated over several decades.
In an interview with The New York Times, Schiltz said the conduct of ICE agents had created significant disruption in his court and posed what he described as a “grave threat to the rule of law.”
He attributed the alleged violations largely to incompetence and staffing shortages.
The seven judges reportedly declined to discuss specific ongoing cases but agreed to speak about the disruption caused by an ICE operation known as “Metro Surge” and the resulting tensions between the federal judiciary and the Justice Department.
The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it had filed a judicial misconduct complaint against Schiltz and the six other judges before a federal appeals court.
The department accused the judges of violating judicial ethics by publicly commenting on matters connected to cases pending before the courts.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference that the department had asked the appeals court to investigate the judges.
Blanche also said the department had requested that the judges recuse themselves from cases involving the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, citing what he described as evidence of bias in their comments to The New York Times.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and the role of federal courts in reviewing government actions.
During “Metro Surge,” ICE agents shot and killed two US citizens who were participating in street protests against the immigration raids. The incidents triggered widespread criticism and were followed by the administration’s decision to wind down the operation.
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