A Minnesota federal judge narrowly avoided a rare courtroom confrontation with the nation’s top immigration enforcement official after Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a detainee at the center of a mounting legal dispute.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons had been ordered to personally appear before Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz to explain why the agency failed to comply with a court directive involving Juan Tobay Robles, an Ecuadorian national held in federal custody. The judge warned that Lyons could face contempt proceedings if the order continued to be ignored.
That hearing was canceled after Tobay Robles was released from detention on January 27, according to his attorney, who confirmed that the immigrant was transported to Texas following his release.
The case traces back to early January, when Tobay Robles was taken into custody by ICE agents in Minnesota. He had entered the United States as a minor decades earlier and was detained during an intensified immigration enforcement campaign in the state. On January 14, Judge Schiltz ruled that federal law did not require his continued detention and instructed ICE to either provide a bond hearing within seven days or release him.
When neither action occurred by the court’s deadline, the judge escalated the matter, issuing an order that would have compelled Lyons to appear in person. In his written opinion, Schiltz expressed growing frustration, noting that the case reflected a broader pattern of missed deadlines and ignored rulings.
The judge described the situation as part of a larger strain on Minnesota’s federal courts, which have seen a surge of habeas petitions and emergency filings tied to immigration arrests. He criticized ICE for dramatically increasing enforcement activity without ensuring adequate legal processes to address the resulting caseload.
Although Schiltz acknowledged that calling a federal agency head into court was highly unusual, he argued that repeated noncompliance left few alternatives. The release of Tobay Robles ultimately rendered the hearing unnecessary, but the judge’s comments underscored escalating tensions between the judiciary and immigration authorities.
The ruling comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE operations in Minnesota, where enforcement actions have drawn national attention following several high-profile incidents. In response, the White House recently announced leadership changes aimed at stabilizing operations and addressing legal concerns.
While this particular case was resolved with the detainee’s release, legal experts say it signals a tougher stance from the courts as immigration enforcement continues to collide with judicial oversight.
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