‘The system sucks. This job sucks’: ICE lawyer admits to judge that agency is violating court orders

A phrase uttered in a federal courtroom has become emblematic of the current state of the U.S. Immigration system. “The system sucks. This job sucks,” said Julie Le, a federal government attorney, before a judge visibly exasperated by repeated violations of court orders during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Le, an attorney with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota since January, appeared Tuesday before District Judge Jerry Blackwell to explain why the government had ignored deadlines and orders requiring the immediate release of several immigrants detained during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. According to the court, these were individuals with no criminal records who should never have been arrested and whose release was delayed for days, despite clear and repeated orders.

“A court order is not advisory, and it is not conditional,” Blackwell warned during the hearing in St. Paul. “It is not something that any agency can treat as optional.” The judge emphasized that behind every violation there are people deprived of their liberty, handcuffed and imprisoned, even after a court has ordered their release.

The hearing came after a string of similar rulings also noted by Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz, who weeks earlier had accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of violating 96 court orders in 74 separate cases. Schiltz went so far as to order ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to appear in person to explain why he should not be held in contempt, although he canceled the hearing after the agency released the detainee in question. “That does not end the Court’s concerns,” he wrote at the time.

Attorney Le explained that she had moved from her position as an ICE attorney in immigration courts to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on January 5 to help manage a “tidal wave” of habeas corpus petitions filed by detainees. Since the beginning of the year, more than 600 such petitions have been filed in Minnesota, a number that began to skyrocket in December with the start of the federal operation.

As Le told the judge, complying with court orders has become a task that requires constant attention and an endless chain of emails, warnings, and threats of resignation to get other agencies to respond. “I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court so I can get 24 hours of sleep,” she said at the hearing, visibly upset. She also admitted that she did not feel adequately trained for the role she was playing and described the lack of coordination and clear guidelines within DHS and ICE.

The lawyer said she had submitted her resignation but decided to stay because there was no one available to replace her. She said that after securing the release of a detained minor, she became convinced that she could bring about change from within. “I am here to make sure the agency understands how important it is to comply with court orders,” she added.

Judge Blackwell chose not to hold Le or prosecutor Ana Voss, her co-counsel in the case, in contempt, but made it clear that his primary concern is respect for the rule of law. “What we really want is compliance because on the other side of this is someone who should not have been arrested.”

Voss, for her part, attributed part of the problem to operational failures, lack of training, and deficiencies in internal communication. She acknowledged that she had never seen such a level of noncompliance by the federal government in her career. Voss is among several prosecutors who have resigned in recent weeks over ethical concerns, although she has not said when she will leave her position.

Le’s statements quickly spread beyond the courtroom. Hours later, NBC News reported that her temporary assignment to the U.S. Attorney’s Office had been canceled. Neither DHS nor the Justice Department offered immediate explanations.

All this is happening as Operation Metro Surge continues in Minnesota, with thousands of arrests since December and massive protests in Minneapolis and other cities. The operation has been marked by episodes of violence, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, U.S. Citizens, during actions by federal agents, which has intensified political and judicial scrutiny. On Wednesday, border czar Tom Homan announced that 700 federal agents will leave the state after local authorities began cooperating with the federal government.

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