Acting ICE director Todd Lyons ordered to testify Friday after judge questions handling of detainee

Published January 27, 2026 11:24am ET



A federal judge in Minnesota on Monday ordered Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons to appear personally in court this week, warning that he could be held in contempt over what the judge described as repeated failures by the Trump administration to comply with court orders in immigration cases.

In a Monday evening order, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz directed Lyons to testify in person at a Friday hearing in Minneapolis concerning the detention of Juan Tobay Robles, who was arrested by federal immigration agents earlier this month amid the administration’s Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities.

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