LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON - A US federal judge has ordered Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to appear in court on Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with multiple judicial orders.
In a Jan 26 order, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz of the US District Court for the District of Minnesota wrote that the court's "patience is at an end" after ICE repeatedly failed to comply with "dozens of court orders" in recent weeks and the agency's noncompliance had caused "significant hardship" for immigrants.
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In the court document, Schiltz said the extraordinary step of summoning the acting ICE director was necessary because lesser measures had failed.
The order reflects escalating tensions between federal immigration enforcement and the judiciary amid legal challenges to ICE practices.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem will not step down, even as Democrats threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against her.
When asked if Noem will leave the post, Trump told reporters at the White House: "No."
Noem has been facing mounting pressure in recent days following the fatal shootings of two US citizens by law enforcement officers in Minneapolis. The backlash has focused on her comments describing the victims as having committed "an act of domestic terrorism," a claim not supported by video evidence.
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On Jan 7, an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old US citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis during an operation. On Saturday, Border Patrol officers fatally shot 37-year-old US citizen Alex Pretti in the city.
The shootings have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, with Democrats calling for Noem to be fired or impeached and some Republican lawmakers urging congressional hearings into federal immigration enforcement practices.
Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday on X that he is calling on the leadership at ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services to appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which he chairs.
Also on Tuesday, one person was reported in critical condition after being shot in an incident involving the US Border Patrol in the state of Arizona, according to authorities.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said it responded to the incident in Arivaca, an unincorporated community in Pima County near the US-Mexico border, local media reported.
READ MORE: Federal agents kill another US citizen in 3rd Minnesota shooting
The department added that it is working in coordination with the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection.
The shooting occurred around 7:30 am local time and involved a Border Patrol officer, said local media, adding that the individual was taken into custody and transported to receive medical treatment.
