MINNEAPOLIS — A U.S. government immigration lawyer assigned to Minnesota has been removed from her temporary post after a blunt courtroom exchange in which she told a federal judge that the system was overwhelmed and that “this job sucks.”
The attorney, Julie Le, had been detailed from ICE-related work to help handle a surge of immigration detention cases tied to the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge.” At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell, she said staffing and process failures were hampering compliance with release orders and described efforts to fix errors as “pulling teeth.”
According to Reuters and AP, Le’s temporary DOJ assignment was ended after those remarks, and she was returned to her ICE role. The Justice Department characterized her comments as unprofessional, while maintaining the government is complying with court directives.
The episode comes amid escalating judicial scrutiny in Minnesota, where federal judges have repeatedly warned that ICE must treat court orders as mandatory, not optional. Judge Blackwell said that high caseloads and limited infrastructure are not a legal defense for continued detention after release is ordered.
The broader context is a heavy docket generated by Metro Surge enforcement activity. Recent court proceedings and related reporting have highlighted repeated delays in releasing detainees after judicial orders, prompting threats of contempt in multiple matters.
Le’s unusually candid remarks offered a rare public window into internal strain: in court, she said she was working around the clock and had considered resigning, but stayed because detainees remained in custody while cases were being processed.
For now, the legal pressure remains on federal agencies operating in Minnesota: judges are signaling that administrative overload will not excuse noncompliance, and further sanctions remain possible if release-order violations continue.
