1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The Department of Homeland Security is flagrantly violating court orders in Minneapolis, leaving immigrant detainees unconstitutionally locked up for days. This is not a bureaucratic delay. This is contempt of court, and it demands immediate congressional oversight. On Tuesday, Judge Jerry Blackwell held a show cause hearing after his orders for immediate release were ignored in five habeas corpus cases stemming from Operation Metro Surge. Special Assistant United States Attorney Julie Le, who volunteered to handle the flood of cases, told the court that government lawyers cannot keep up with the caseload. She described efforts to bring ICE into compliance as "pulling teeth" in an "already depleted office." Le became so overwhelmed she asked to be held in contempt just to get 24 hours of sleep. This breakdown follows the resignation of six Minneapolis federal prosecutors who were ordered to open a domestic terrorism investigation into the wife of ICE shooting victim Renee Good while being refused permission to investigate the shooting itself. Among those who resigned was Joseph H. Thompson, a career federal prosecutor who had been serving as acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota. The office is now so understaffed that it relies on volunteers like Le, who graduated from law school in 2019 and previously handled workers' compensation cases. When federal agencies ignore court orders, they undermine the rule of law itself. Immigrants are being held in unconstitutional detention not because judges found legal justification, but because DHS simply refuses to comply with judicial mandates. Judge Blackwell, one of the prosecutors who secured Derek Chauvin's conviction for George Floyd's murder, is known for demanding strict adherence to ethical rules. His frustration reflects the severity of this crisis. I urge you to demand an immediate investigation into DHS's contempt of court in Minneapolis, ensure adequate staffing for the U.S. Attorney's office, and hold agency officials accountable for defying judicial orders. The Constitution requires it.