MINNEAPOLIS — A sharply worded rebuke from Minnesota’s chief federal judge, Patrick Schiltz, has escalated a conflict with U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over repeated violations of court orders, threatening potential criminal contempt charges against federal prosecutors.
The dispute originated with an email sent February 9th by Rosen to Judge Schiltz, in which the U.S. Attorney reportedly questioned the judge’s assessment of ICE’s compliance with judicial directives. Judge Schiltz, appointed by President George W. Bush, responded with a supplemental order filed Thursday, February 26th, directly addressing Rosen and ICE officials. The order demands compliance with court orders or faces criminal contempt charges, according to court filings and reporting by Fox 9.
The core of the issue stems from a surge in civil cases following ICE’s “Operation Metro Surge,” an immigration enforcement initiative. The legal fallout from the operation has created a significant backlog for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, compounded by recent resignations among prosecutors and missed court deadlines. Judge Schiltz stated in his order that the court was “not aware of any other case where a federal court has had to threaten the U.S. Government with contempt ‘again and again and again’ to comply with judicial orders,” as reported by Fox 9.
According to an AP News report, Judge Schiltz has documented 210 order violations across 143 cases. The initial disagreement between the judge and Rosen centered on whether ICE was adequately adhering to court rulings. Rosen’s initial communication prompted Judge Schiltz to re-examine his findings, ultimately reaffirming his original assessment of ICE’s non-compliance.
The situation has prompted a rare public confrontation between a federal judge and the chief prosecutor for Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio News reported that two federal judges have now rebuked Rosen over ICE’s failures. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently facing a staffing crisis, exacerbating the challenges of managing the increasing legal workload.
While Operation Metro Surge may be winding down, the legal repercussions continue to mount. The Department of Justice, according to Judge Schiltz, was “never” prepared for the volume of civil lawsuits resulting from the operation. A hearing has been scheduled for March 11th to address the ongoing issues, according to court documents.
