Acting ICE chief called for contempt hearing
"The Court’s patience is at an end," a federal judge wrote.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons must appear in court on Friday to explain why he should not be found in contempt for failing to comply with “dozens of court orders,” the top federal judge in Minnesota ordered on Tuesday.
“This Court has been extremely patient with [the government], even though [the government] 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,” Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in a three page order.
Although Justice Department officials “continually assured the Court that they recognize their obligation to comply with Court orders,” Schiltz wrote: “Unfortunately, though, the violations continue.”
“The Court’s patience is at an end,” Schiltz declared.
Schiltz, a former law clerk of Antonin Scalia, recently scorched the government’s “frivolous” appeal to force him to issue arrest warrants for five people seen at a protest inside a St. Paul church, including journalist Don Lemon.
The judge found “no evidence” that Lemon, who reported on the protest, committed a crime.
Judge Schiltz directed Lyons to “personally” appear in his courtroom on Friday at 1 p.m. Central Time.
“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,” he wrote.
Read the judge’s three-page order here.
Washington Post bombshell
The Washington Post’s reporting suggests that the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti were the tip of the iceberg.
“Department of Homeland Security officers have fired shots during enforcement arrests or at people protesting their operations 16 times since July, and as in the recent shootings in Minneapolis, in each case the Trump administration has publicly declared their actions justified before waiting for investigations to be completed.”
Of at least 10 people struck by the bullets, four were U.S. citizens, and three people were killed, according to the article.
“Lawyers say officials have been quick to pursue felony charges against those fired at — though in four of 10 cases, prosecutors have either dropped charges or a judge has dismissed them after evidence emerged contradicting the government’s narrative of events.”
No officers were reportedly charged.
Read the story in full here.
Editor’s Note: I am writing this newsletter from the airport to Nashville, Tenn., where I will be covering an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia will be dismissed for vindictive prosecution.
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Of course it’s contempt, the whole regime is built on “contempt.” They literally don’t care. 🤷♂️
The backlash against this corrupt and incompetent regime is growing rapidly.
As Heather Cox Richardson said, "Now is the time to choose."
Many people with non-political online sites are speaking out against the outrageous violence and violations of our rights as Americans.