Judges weigh contempt for U.S. Attorney over ICE surge abuses
Federal judges in Minnesota are now openly threatening contempt sanctions against U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen over repeated violations of court orders tied to Operation Metro Surge, the ICE crackdown centered on Minneapolis–St. Paul. After an all‑day, 'testy' hearing Tuesday where Rosen insisted his office showed 'no defiance, no disobedience,' Judge Jeffrey Bryan said he still has not ruled out jailing federal officials for ignoring habeas orders, while U.S. District Judge John Tunheim has ordered Rosen back to court at 2 p.m. Thursday over at least six immigration cases where the government was told to immediately return IDs, bank cards and cell phones to people judges found were unlawfully arrested. Tunheim wrote that ICE and DOJ 'violated the terms of the Court’s orders' by hanging onto essentials 'without any lawful basis,' compounding financial hardship and safety risks for released petitioners. Immigration lawyers say clients are walking out of ICE custody in the Twin Cities with no driver’s license, work permit or phone, making it nearly impossible to get to jobs, pay rent or contact counsel, and argue this shows Metro Surge has shredded basic due‑process norms even after judges ordered corrective action. With at least three federal judges now on record threatening contempt in related Metro Surge cases, Rosen is in the crosshairs as the public face of a federal operation that’s already forced mass habeas releases and exposed how little regard federal agents have shown for Minnesota court orders.
📌 Key Facts
- Judge John Tunheim ordered U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen back to court Thursday at 2 p.m. over at least six cases where ICE and DOJ failed to return personal property as ordered.
- Judge Jeffrey Bryan held a day‑long, contentious hearing Tuesday on separate Metro Surge violations and said imprisonment for contempt, while unlikely, remains on the table.
- Tunheim’s order says the government is still holding bank cards and IDs 'without any lawful basis,' causing 'financial distress and further risks to their safety and well‑being' for petitioners whose arrests were already ruled unlawful.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge, launched in January 2026, resulted in over 4,000 arrests in Minnesota, focusing on individuals with criminal records, including violent offenders, as part of a large-scale immigration enforcement effort.
By the Numbers: ICE in Minnesota — Mpls.St.Paul Magazine
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States, with approximately 64,354 Somalis comprising 1.12% of the state's total population as of 2026.
Somali Population by State 2026 — World Population Review
36% of the Somali population in Minnesota lives below the poverty level, compared to the state's overall poverty rate of about 9.3% in recent years.
Federal refugee resettlement policies, including visas issued since 1992 and support from voluntary agencies (VOLAGs), have contributed to the large Somali immigration to Minnesota, with many arriving as refugees fleeing civil war.
Fact Check Team: Minnesota's Somali community, from refugees to political powerhouses — ABC3340
Somali immigrants in Minnesota exhibit higher crime rates than natives, with studies showing a two- to fivefold difference when compared on an apples-to-apples basis.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
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