A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons to personally appear in court this Friday after warning that he may be held in contempt for repeated failures to “follow judicial orders” in immigration cases.
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz directed Lyons to appear in connection with the detention of Juan Tobay Robles, who was taken into custody by federal immigration agents in Minnesota earlier this month. The judge said Tobay Robles was neither granted a bond hearing nor released within seven days, despite a court order requiring the Trump administration to do one or the other.
In a written order, Schiltz said the failure was not isolated, writing, “This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply in recent weeks.” He later added, “The Court’s patience is at an end. The Court acknowledges that ordering the head of a federal agency to personally appear is an extraordinary step, but the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed.”
Schiltz scheduled a hearing for 1:00 p.m. Friday in Minneapolis, stating that Lyons “must appear in person to show cause why he should not be held in contempt for violating the Court’s January 14, 2026, order.” The judge said the hearing would be canceled if the parties notify the court that Tobay Robles has been released from custody before then.
