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DOJ removes lawyer from ICE

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Homeland Security lawyer Julie Le was removed from her ICE detail, DOJ said, after she told a Minnesota federal judge "this job sucks" and alleged noncompliance with court orders.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Robert C. Richards

13%
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Great read. An ICE attorney working for DOJ temporarily explains that ICE has no clue how all of this "federal court" stuff works and makes clear that both ICE and DOJ were totally unprepared for the flood of habeases that were the inevitable result of the Minneapolis raids.
MS. LE: I have to go back and pulling teeth to get things fixed. And it took a long time. For a long time the ICE agency is work under the Immigration Court, and they have their own policy and procedures. To get my back-home colleagues up to date that Federal Court is not the same as how Immigration Court operate, it took a long, long, long time and many order to show cause to explain and let them know that, Come on, if you guys don't fix it, I'm going to quit and you are going to be dragging yourself into court. I have to say that too in front of that in order to get it fixed. I did put in my resignation from the job too, but they couldn't find a replacement. So I gave them a specific time and -- to get it done. If they don't, then by all mean, I'm going to walk out. And before I walk out, I was able to release another individual, a juvenile. That kind of like a step -- like a barrier. Like, Wait, Julie, stop. You need to go back and get more people out. That's why I'm still here. I am here just trying to make sure that the agency understand how important it is to comply with all the court orders, which they have not done in the past or currently. I am here as a bridge and a liaison between the one that in jail, because if I walk out -- sometime I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep. I work days and night just because people still in there. And, yes, procedure in place right now sucks. I'm trying to fix it. As you can see the e-mail that I sent to you, it has been improving, a great improvement. And last night I had to stay up until 2:35 a.m. just to get this documents ready for you. It's a -- I can't say it's a waste of my time, but I could have sent so many more e-mail and get so many more people get ready to be released. And I am here with you, Your Honor. What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need. THE COURT: All right. So I hear your frustrations and comments about the job. My question is: Are you expressing those to the others who are -- MS. LE: I do. THE COURT: -- just a minute -- the others within the DOJ or ICE or DHS who have the role of carrying out the Court's orders that require immediate release? How is this frustration getting translated? MS. LE: I write an e-mail with big, bold font. I CC Ms. Voss in it, and I said, here's what it fail and we need to fix it. You can't just have people sitting in jail and drag me into court and explain to the Court why the system fail. And if they can't help me, then I am not here -- I'm not meant for this job. And to be honest, Your Honor, I did put for a request to be transferred back, but no one were willing to come here to stand in front of you to explain and/or to help to improve the system.
February 4, 2026 at 10:52 PM

Reposted by Steve Peers

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kyledcheney.bsky.social
NEW: A rupture between DOJ and ICE has emerged in Minnesota, where overwhelmed prosecutors keep dropping the ball — and saying ICE won't return their messages.

The crisis has had real-world consequences for migrants illegally detained

w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
February 4, 2026 at 8:27 PM

Reposted by Ilya Somin

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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

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Reposted by Steve Peers

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chrisgeidner.bsky.social
What’s up with the government lawyer who told a federal judge in Minnesota on Tuesday that “the system sucks” and her “job sucks”?

I have you covered at Law Dork:
"The system sucks," or what a federal lawyer's comments really tell us about the Trump admin
Julie Le's comments are shocking, but they are a problem of the Trump admin’s own making. And it goes way beyond one lawyer new to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office.
www.lawdork.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

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ofthebraveusa.bsky.social
Rep. Jason Crow on ICE/CBP expansion: "They have hired people without background checks. They have hired people without training. They have no standards for the use of force. They have created a law enforcement agency that's filled with people that want to abuse our community."
February 4, 2026 at 5:25 PM

Reposted by Michael D. McDonald, Rosemary A. Joyce

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crampell.bsky.social
Govt attorney who was representing the Justice Department in court is no longer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her job “sucks” and asking to be held in contempt so she “could get 24 hours of sleep.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Government attorney who told judge in ICE case, 'This job sucks,' removed from detail
Julie Le made the remark while she was representing the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, where federal officers are conducting a massive immigration crackdown.
www.nbcnews.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM

Reposted by Richard Moorhead

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nearlylegal.co.uk
This is just awful. US Attorney has meltdown in Minnesota hearing on Govt non-compliance with court orders on releasing ICE detainees.

The transcript shows a system melting down in the face of massive illegal acts & non-compliance with court orders by ICE

drive.google.com/file/d/1FnY2z7…

I did put in my resignation from the job too, but they couldn't find a replacement. So I gave them a specific time and -- to get it done. If they don't, then by all mean, I'm going to walk out. And before I walk out, I was able to release another individual, a juvenile. That kind of like a step -- like a barrier. Like, Wait, Julie, stop. You need to go back and get more people out. That's why I'm still here. I am here just trying to make sure that the agency understand how important it is to comply with all the court orders, which they have not done in the past or currently. I am here as a bridge and a liaison between the one that in jail, because if I walk out -- sometime I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep. I work days and night
February 4, 2026 at 10:01 PM

by Jason Dittmer

8%
realjdittmer.bsky.social
"Sometime I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep," Le told Blackwell, according to a transcript.

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
US Justice Department removes lawyer who told judge in immigration case 'this job sucks'
The U.S. Justice Department has removed a government lawyer from an assignment in Minnesota after she told a federal judge "this job sucks" and immigration authorities had failed to comply with court ...
www.reuters.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:46 PM

by Prakash Kashwan

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pkashwan.bsky.social
"...after pushing through an order to release a juvenile from detention, she realized that she could affect positive change from the inside. I’m still here because I’m trying to make sure that the agency understands how imp it is to comply with all the court orders.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
ICE attorney to judge: ‘This job sucks’
A federal judge admonished DHS for repeatedly defying court orders to release detainees, as government lawyers described widespread noncompliance during Minnesota’s immigration crackdown.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:15 PM

by Holger Hestermeyer

14%
hhesterm.bsky.social
That transcript is highly significant. Note that the judge r3fers to the unitary executive and points out that accordingly he does not quite care who doesn‘t talk to whom and who is to blame. He just wants compliance with court orders.
danielsuitor.com Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 14h
If you want to read the transcript of the February 3 hearing where Julie Le had her "this job sucks" meltdown, now you can:

drive.google.com/file/d/1FnY2...
danielsuitor.com Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 1d
This is unreal. An AUSA talking like that in open court is about as close as you can come to a total breakdown. Never heard of anything like it.
February 4, 2026 at 9:11 PM

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce

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kenwhite.bsky.social
/2 AUSAs and DoJ attorneys are supposed to do justice and all that good stuff, but ultimately are still attorneys with obligations to their client, the United States.

They don’t have to lie or cheat for the United States but can’t throw their client under the bus, even if it’s the U.S..
February 5, 2026 at 5:26 AM

Reposted by Nathan P. Kalmoe

2%
audrelawdamercy.bsky.social
I can now report that Judge Blackwell did not grant Julie Le’s request for a nap, and also noted that, as overwhelmed as she may be, the people who the Trump administration is detaining in violation of court orders have it worse

ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics...
February 4, 2026 at 11:04 PM

Reposted by Jesse R. Lasky

3%
mitchellepner.bsky.social
A link to SAUSA Julie Le's admission that ICE & DOJ haven't released individuals who were ordered released because no one in the entire system has responded to her repeated entreaties to get the individuals released.

Kafka told from the prosecutor's prospective.

drive.google.com/file/d/1FnY2...
Transcript of 2.3 Hearing, Segundo A.P.G. v. Bondi, No. 26-CV-603.pdf
drive.google.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:28 AM

by Victor Asal

17%

Reposted by Henry Jones

1%
iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social
Trump’s occupation of Minneapolis has broken the Justice Department
This DOJ is no longer capable of doing its job.
Trump’s occupation of Minneapolis has broken the Justice Department
This DOJ is no longer capable of doing its job.
www.vox.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:19 AM

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

5%

by Gerald Friedman

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gfriedma.bsky.social
ICE criminals!
malena.bsky.social Malena-PRO-CHOICE 🌊 🟦🟧Fighting Tyranny! @malena.bsky.social · 1d
ICE rammed her car, shot her five times giving her 7 bullet wounds & absconded her out of the hospital after three hours wrapped in bandages.

These agents are savages!
#FundHealthcareOverICE

If this could happen to Marimar Martinez, it could happen to you or your loved one!
Congress: 202-224-3121
February 4, 2026 at 3:03 PM
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