NEW YORK, Jan 28 - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has complied with a Minnesota federal court order by releasing Juan Tobay Robles, an Ecuadorian citizen who had been detained in error, the detainee's attorney said. Robles' release on Tuesday means that Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is unlikely to be required to make an extraordinary in-person appearance in federal court in Minnesota this week to explain the agency's repeated noncompliance with court orders.
Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz had ordered Lyons to appear in court on Friday unless ICE released Robles. The judge criticized ICE for repeatedly disregarding court directives and for deploying thousands of immigration agents to Minnesota - without making arrangements to address the numerous legal actions that the operation would predictably generate.
Although Robles has been freed, Judge Schiltz still must issue a formal order canceling the scheduled hearing. Such an order would have carried significant consequences for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security as both agencies navigate the legal fallout from the surge and contend with scrutiny following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by ICE agents in Minnesota.
The federal enforcement operation began in December when the Trump administration sent thousands of immigration agents to Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Officials described the deployment as an effort to enforce immigration laws and curb fraud. Minnesota's Democratic leaders, however, have accused the administration of inundating the streets of those cities with armed agents motivated by animus toward Democratic-leaning communities and as part of a dispute with Governor Tim Walz.
Following weeks of protests and public outcry related to the two killings - of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents - President Trump and Governor Walz spoke by phone about steps to de-escalate tensions in the state, both said.
Separately, the Minnesota Attorney General's Office has filed suit seeking to block the surge or limit ICE's tactics. In that complaint, state officials accuse agents of racially profiling residents, carrying out unlawful stops and arrests, and sowing fear within communities. The Trump administration has maintained that the operation is lawful. A federal judge has not yet ruled on the state's request.
Context and next steps
Robles' release fulfills the immediate demand from the Minnesota federal court and likely averts an in-person contempt proceeding for the agency's acting director. Nevertheless, the broader litigation challenging the surge, the pending judicial decision on the state's request, and the ongoing public concern around the shootings and enforcement tactics mean legal and political questions remain unsettled.