A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in court, warning he could be held in contempt for repeatedly failing to comply with court orders related to immigration detentions.
The order comes amid broader criticism of immigration enforcement tactics in the state and growing protests against actions tied to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said the court’s patience had been exhausted after ICE missed deadlines in multiple cases, including a failure to provide a detainee with a required bond hearing.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday in Minneapolis, though it may be canceled if the detainee at the center of the case is released beforehand.
Judge Schiltz ordered acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to personally explain why the agency has not complied with dozens of recent court orders.
The immediate dispute centers on the detention of Juan Tobay Robles, who was arrested by federal immigration agents in Minnesota earlier this month.
Schiltz had ordered on January 14, 2026, that Tobay Robles receive a bond hearing within seven days or be released from custody.
Court filings show that as of January 23, Tobay Robles remained detained without a hearing.
“This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply in recent weeks,” Schiltz wrote.
The judge said Lyons must appear in person to show cause why he should not be held in contempt.
Tobay Robles, a citizen of Ecuador, entered the United States illegally as a child around 1999, according to court documents.
His attorney filed a petition on January 8 challenging the legality of his detention at Fort Snelling, where ICE maintains a field office.
Schiltz said the administration’s repeated noncompliance has caused significant hardship to detainees, many of whom have lived and worked in the United States for years.
The judge criticized the decision to surge thousands of agents into Minnesota without provisions for handling the resulting legal challenges.
The order also follows heightened tensions in Minneapolis after ICE agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during separate enforcement actions this month.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment, and ICE has not publicly responded to the contempt warning.