Patrick J. Schiltz

It was the latest twist in a clash between the Trump administration and federal judges who have at times thwarted his drive to deport millions of immigrants lacking residency papers

A former clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court, he does not have the profile of a jurist likely to engage in a high-stakes standoff with the executive branch

US District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with advocacy groups that argued the recent upgrades to the program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, aggregated Americans’ sensitive personal data in a way that could result in voters being wrongly purged from voter rolls

The decision marks a significant legal defeat for the Trump administration’s attempt to compel state cooperation with federal immigration initiatives

Judges in several states have recently taken pains to separate these attorneys from their bosses in Washington — and from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which they see as increasingly responsible, and unremorseful, for the rampant violations amid President DONALD TRUMP’s mass deportation push

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) chastised former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after President Donald Trump fired her last week following mounting disapproval over her leadership of the department, including the handling of the administration’s deeply unpopular immigration crackdown

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) faced a major legal setback as federal judges in New Jersey and Texas criticized the agency over prolonged detentions and repeated violations of court orders

Judge Patrick Schiltz was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush

A judge appointed by President Donald Trump found Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in contempt and ordered them to pay an immigrant detained by ICE

Operation Metro Surge will ultimately send nearly 3,000 additional federal officers and agents to the Twin Cities

The hearing comes two days after the officials declined to answer questions from House members about the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good

They share stories of children distracted by fear, families afraid to ask for help and staff struggling to support students carrying adult-sized burdens into the classroom

To date, it doesn’t appear that any judge in the District of Minnesota has held an agency official or Justice Department attorney in civil contempt of court or imposed sanctions in cases related to Operation Metro Surge

But in recent weeks, that drumbeat of subtle alarm has metastasized into a full-blown clarion call by judges across the country, who are now openly castigating what they say are systematic and intentional abuses by the administration

After protest, agitation and chaos rocked Minneapolis over the weekend, President Donald Trump has offered leaders there an olive branch, and placed the political ball squarely in their court

Trump Warns Minneapolis Mayor Over Immigration Comments

Following weeks of daily clashes between protesters and immigration agents, spiked by the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens during such confrontations, senior Trump administration officials seemed to be recalibrating their approach

Tim Walz began with a very real concession, by replacing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and gung-ho Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino with the arguably more moderate Border Czar Tom Homan on the ground

Protesters and ICE agents converge on a residential street, near where Renee Good was killed by federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis on January 13

Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of Minnesota on Monday ordered Lyons to appear in court on Friday unless ICE released Robles

Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of Minnesota on Monday ordered Lyons to appear in court on Friday unless ICE released Robles

President Donald Trump’s first stop on the long road to the 2026 midterm elections ended after he spoke for just over an hour with hardly any mention of the firestorm consuming his administration over the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minnesota man by a Border Patrol officer just days ago

A group that organized two nationwide "No Kings" protests last year is planning its next large-scale national demonstration on March 28, with a particular focus on Minnesota, which has emerged as ground zero for anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations over the last few months

Trump's first stop is Iowa, a one-time Midwestern battleground turned red-leaning state the president carried by double digits in 2024 where Republicans are now playing defense as they defend open Senate and gubernatorial seats, as well as three competitive GOP-controlled House districts

Minnesota Chief Judge Orders ICE Director to Appear Before Court

Tom Homan, Donald Trump's border czar, has arrived to Minnesota to take charge of Operation Metro Surge and relieve Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino after fatal shootings

First Lady Melania Trump Calls for Unity When Asked About Minnesota Shootings

But his provocatively unapologetic utterances in Minneapolis after the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American citizen, by border patrol officers propelled him to a new level of notoriety that finally exceeded the tolerance even of the Trump administration