US Judge Orders ICE Chief To Appear Personally In Court, Warns Of Contempt

Minnesota’s chief federal judge has ordered the acting head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, to appear personally in court on Friday, citing repeated failures by the agency to comply with court orders.

Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said the directive was an “extraordinary step,” but added that “the extent of ICE violations of court orders is likewise extraordinary.” The judge warned that continued non-compliance could lead to contempt proceedings.

According to the order, the court has issued multiple directives to ICE in recent cases that were either ignored or inadequately addressed, prompting judicial concern over the agency’s adherence to legal obligations. Judge Schiltz said Lyons’ personal appearance was necessary to explain the lapses and outline steps to ensure future compliance.

Federal immigration officers shot and killed a 37-year-old intensive care nurse during an operation in Minneapolis on Saturday, triggering clashes between protesters and authorities and prompting the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard, according to AP and state officials.

Family members identified the man as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse at a VA hospital, who they said was deeply upset by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and had protested against it in his city. The shooting took place on January 24, 2026, in a neighbourhood already on edge after another fatal immigration-related shooting earlier this month.

According to AP, hundreds of people gathered at the scene after the shooting, confronting federal immigration officers who responded with batons and flash bangs. The Minnesota National Guard was activated on the orders of Governor Tim Walz and deployed to both the site of the shooting and a nearby federal building that has been the focus of daily protests.

Details of what led up to the shooting remained limited. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said authorities were still piecing together the events. In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said federal officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him.