FURIOUS GOP Judge ORDERS CONTEMPT of Trump ADMIN!!!

What this episode is about

A Republican-appointed federal judge in Minnesota, Chief Judge Patrick Schilz, has ordered the acting head of ICE to appear in court for a contempt hearing due to significant violations of court orders related to immigration enforcement actions under the Trump administration, specifically referencing Operation Metro Surge. This extraordinary move highlights the judge's frustration with the agency's noncompliance and his commitment to upholding legal standards amid a contentious immigration policy landscape.

Key takeaways

• When a GOP judge calls out ICE, you know the operation has gone off the rails.
• Holding the head of ICE in contempt: a legal nuclear option from a conservative judge. Who saw that coming?
• In a game of legal chess, Trump's moves have checkmated even his own appointees.
• Dumping detainees in Texas without funds? It's a twisted game of immigration roulette.
• When judges start sending letters to higher courts about being sued, you've reached a whole new level of chaos.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ben (Guest) · 11 min speaking
• Harry Litman (Guest) · 7 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Chief Judge Schultz, ETH circuit, Todd Lions, Don Lemon
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Chief Judge Schultz, ETH circuit, Harry Litman, 8 USC section 1226
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Harry Litman, Todd Lions, Don Lemon, Steve Colatin
4. 9:00 – 12:00: ETH circuit, Todd Lions
5. 12:00 – 15:00: ETH circuit, Harry Litman, Don Lemon, Steve Colatin
6. 18:00 – 18:32: Harry Litman, Talking Feds, Midas Plus

Notable quotes from "FURIOUS GOP Judge ORDERS CONTEMPT of Trump ADMIN!!!"

• Hold you in contempt pending your testimony before my court at the end of this week. Federal Judge Schultz, Chief Judge Schultz, the chief judge of the federal court in…

  about Chief Judge Schultz · at 0:07

• How on January 14th, 2026, the court granted petitioner Juan TR's habius petition and ordered among other things that respondent provide petitioner a bond hearing under 8 USC…

  about 8 USC section 1226 · at 3:59

• Told to just go home and all of their money is taken away and everything is taken away. Harry, let's bring in Harry Litman from the Talking Feds YouTube channel, Talking Feds…

  about Harry Litman · at 5:07

• This letter, by the way, Steve Colatin, they're a little bit comrades in arms, as you mentioned. Schlitz is a Scalia clerk. Steve Colatin is a wellknown, Thomas clerk, I three out there who've been US.

  about Steve Colatin · at 6:30

• People. Three of them were Don Lemon and his producer just journalists there and one other the magistrate did not approve prove three arrests and didn't approve the other five.…

  about Don Lemon · at 8:07

• Are you faking kidding me? It is so over the top. And a conservative panel of the A circuit, which is itself pretty conservative, denied it summarily.

  about ETH circuit · at 9:07

• Midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Philipki, add free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.com.

  about Midas Plus · at 18:19

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Chief Judge Schultz — Person · Referenced judge / central authority figure · 3 mentions · first at 0:13
  Central judicial figure in the discussion: a Minnesota federal chief judge threatening contempt against ICE leadership and previously pushing back on an unusual DOJ mandamus related to Don Lemon.
• Harry Litman — Person · Main guest / legal analyst · 4 mentions · first at 5:10
  Guest brought in to analyze the judge’s contempt posture, DOJ mandamus practice, and broader immigration detention/bond-hearing litigation dynamics.
• Todd Lions — Person · Referenced government official (subject of court order) · 4 mentions · first at 0:07
  Acting ICE director ordered to personally appear and face potential contempt in connection with alleged noncompliance with habeas/bond-hearing orders.
  Cases in Minnesota pending as a result of what the Trump regime refers to as Operation Metro Surge, ordering acting ICE director Todd Lions personally to appear in court and to face contempt.
• Don Lemon — Person · Referenced subject of attempted arrest / mandamus dispute · 4 mentions · first at 1:52
  Named as a journalist whom DOJ allegedly sought to arrest; the episode frames an unusual mandamus attempt tied to a magistrate’s refusal to approve arrest warrants.
• Juan TR — Person · Referenced habeas petitioner · 1 mention · first at 4:02
  Individual detainee whose habeas petition and ordered bond hearing are used as a concrete example of alleged ICE/DOJ noncompliance with court orders.
  Be released from detention. On January 23rd, petitioners council notified the court that Juan has not received a bond hearing and has remained detained. This is one of dozens…
• Steve Colatin — Person · Referenced legal figure / comparator · 2 mentions · first at 6:30
  Mentioned as a 'comrade in arms' in conservative legal circles; used to contextualize the judge’s conservative credentials and networks (Scalia/Thomas clerkship milieu).
• Gregory CHO — Person · Referenced government attorney (sanctions target in another case) · 1 mention · first at 5:23
  Cited as a U.S. Attorney allegedly facing sanctions threats by another judge (Roy Dalton) for briefing failures—used to show similar judicial pushback elsewhere.
  Dalton in Florida, who's also threatening sanctions against US Attorney Gregory CHO for a woolful wholesale failure to point to scores of contrary persuasive cases. Holding…

Companies & orgs

• Talking Feds — Company · Referenced expert · 2 mentions · first at 5:13
  Harry Litman's platform for discussing federal legal issues, mentioned as a source of expert analysis on the ongoing legal battles.
  Money is taken away and everything is taken away. Harry, let's bring in Harry Litman from the Talking Feds YouTube channel, Talking Feds podcast, and Talking Feds Substack…
• Midas Plus — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 18:19
  Mentioned as a platform for exclusive content related to the podcast, indicating a commercial aspect of the discussion.

Concepts & topics

• ETH circuit — Concept · Key argument · 5 mentions · first at 1:49
  Refers to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, central to the discussion of legal procedures and the Trump regime's tactics.
• 8 USC section 1226 — Concept · Framework · 1 mention · first at 4:10
  Legal statute regarding bond hearings for detainees, pivotal in the judge's order and the discussion of detainee rights.
• Operation Metro Surge — Concept · Strategy · 2 mentions · first at 0:31
  Trump regime's operation leading to numerous habius cases, illustrating the administration's immigration enforcement tactics.
  Minneapolis said a contempt hearing for Friday in one of the hundreds of habius cases in Minnesota pending as a result of what the Trump regime refers to as Operation Metro…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 A Republicanappointed federal judge is saying to the head of ICE, "I intend to hold you in contempt pending your testimony before my court at the end of this week." Federal Judge Schultz, Chief Judge Schultz, the chief judge of the federal court in Minnesota in Minneapolis said a contempt hearing for Friday in one of the hundreds of habius cases in Minnesota pending as a result of what the Trump regime refers to as Operation Metro Surge, ordering acting ICE director Todd Lions personally to appear in court and to face contempt.

0:44 attempt. Quote, "Ordering the head of an agency to appear in front of me is an extraordinary step," wrote Chief Judge Schultz, a former law clerk of Justice Scalia. "But the extent of ISIS violations of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed." As Politico writes, Judge Patrick Schilz didn't want this attention. Then ice surged into his city. A low-key George W. Bush appointee, Republican guy, Republican judge is now forced to confront Trump immigration tactics. Um, and this guy's like a veteran of the conservative legal movement and he now finds himself on the front lines battling the Trump regime's frankly violations of the 10th amendment states rights. Um and uh we'll go through uh what this judge wrote, but it should also be noted that this is the same federal judge who wrote a letter to the eighth circuit court of appeals when the Trump regime filed a mandamus

1:56 trying to get Don Lemon arrested. And in a mandamus motions, technically it's like an adversarial proceeding against the court itself. And what Judge Schultz was saying in his letter to the eighth circuit court appeals is like, I've never had to write a letter like this. But apparently on my day off while I'm helping my son, who's a person with disabilities, I learned that basically I got sued. I mean, it's a little more complicated than that, but a mandamus was filed saying that the federal courthouse and the magistrate judge who work under me improperly refused to arrest Don Lemon. And so the Trump regime, rather than just going to a grand jury in order to seek an indictment against Don Lemon, they're running to you, the ETH circuit, via a mandamus process. They're calling me out apparently, but they've made the filing under seal. They've made it confidential and they never served me with the

3:02 papers. So, I could only guess what they're saying about me. So, eight circuit court appeals. Let me just say I've never seen in the history of my time in the court and I've spoken with all of these other district court judges, nobody's seen a single instance where a where a DOJ hasn't just sought alternative means like going to a grand jury if a magistrate doesn't sign off on a criminal complaint and where they go directly to the eighth circuit via a mandamus proceeding. And again, it's very unusual to see the chief judge of a federal court. It's not unusual. It's never happened. Sends a letter to a eighth circuit court of appeals chief judge and saying, "Hey, I I need to let you know what's going on here." And then you know that this is a Republican judge. Let let me just zoom in for a second into what uh uh Chief Judge Schultz puts in this order. He describes how on January 14th, 2026, the court

4:02 granted petitioner Juan TR's habius petition and ordered among other things that respondent provide petitioner a bond hearing under 8 USC section 1226 within 7 days of this order. And if respondents do not provide petitioner with a bond hearing under 8 USC section 1226A within 7 days of the date of this order, the petitioner must immediately be released from detention. On January 23rd, petitioners council notified the court that Juan has not received a bond hearing and has remained detained. This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply with in recent weeks. The practical consequences of respondents failure to comply has almost always been significant hardship to aliens, many of whom have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for years and done absolutely nothing wrong. The detention of an alien is extended or an alien who should remain in Minnesota is flown to

4:57 Texas or an alien who has been flown to Texas is released there and told to figure out a way to get home. And we've learned about this process where they're told to just go home and all of their money is taken away and everything is taken away. Harry, let's bring in Harry Litman from the Talking Feds YouTube channel, Talking Feds podcast, and Talking Feds Substack because we've also seen the same thing with Judge Roy Dalton in Florida, who's also threatening sanctions against US Attorney Gregory CHO for a woolful wholesale failure to point to scores of contrary persuasive cases. Holding Trump's policy of denying bond hearings to detain migrants is unlawful there.

5:39 So, we're seeing this across the country and it's the same story with this Trump regime. And the story is they're denying people bond hearings. They're detaining people. They're not letting them see their lawyers. Maybe they fly them out to Texas. Once they release them in Texas, if they find out the people are lawfully here, they don't give them their cell phones. They just dump them. They take their money and they say go. And the judge is pissed. It's like what you you can't do this. So, it's an extra This judge has done two extraordinary things. The letter to the eighth circuit, Judge Schultz, and now ordering the head of ICE, Todd Lions, to show up.

6:16 What do you make of it all, Harry? Yeah, that's exactly right. Uh, Ben, I I think we should separate out the violations and what's made him so fit to be tied and the actual order to get the head of ICE to show up. So, uh, first this letter, uh, by the way, Steve Colatin, they're a little bit comrades in arms, as you mentioned. Schlitz is a Scalia clerk. Steve Colatin is a wellknown, um, Thomas clerk, I three out there who've been US attorney, Supreme Court clerk, so you know, and and he was one. Um, but uh, what what um, Schlitz wrote on that first instance, absolutely accurate.

6:57 People need to know a little bit more about practice. But when you get you so this grew out of the demonstration in the church which has been complete kind of priority for the department. Pam Bondi shows up is there for two days. They want to really you know the St. Paul was looking into it as a possible disturbance of the peace. I mean a small boore thing but because of this religious angle you had all these over-the-top rhetorical statements of they are completely uh shutting down Christianity and and these terrorists who are trying to really um uh censor uh religious views and the like. It's a it's a very much uh exaggerated view. It looks like there were 30 or 40 people.

7:48 They went in briefly when the cops were called. they were leaving anyway. May there were some churchgoers who seemed not pleased, others who seemed supportive, but it is not the huge uh you know crusades in federal crime that the um that Bondie on down have tried to present. But they went to arrest eight people. Three of them were um Don Lemon and his producer just journalists there and and uh one other the the magistrate did not approve prove three arrests and didn't approve the other five. uh that happens and when it happens what you do like a search warrant you go back to the drawing board you make a better case if you can make it you resubmit or as you suggested you go to a grand jury because if a grand jury will return an indictment you don't it doesn't matter you don't need you don't need to have this um complaint or arrest warrant they didn't do that they sound the alarm first to Schlitz who is as you say not

8:52 too happy doesn't even know what's going on. But all of a sudden, his weekend taking care of his disabled son is completely upended. And then and then mandamus to the A circuit on the failure of a magistrate to give three arrest. Are you faking kidding me? It is so over the top. And a conservative panel of the A circuit, which is itself pretty conservative, denied it uh summarily. So, you know, was not interested at all. Then this second point, you're right. this is what what they're doing around the country. So Schlitz says, "Look, you're doing this dozens of times. We issue these orders. Remember that um the Supreme Court has made clear the these deportes have rights. You do them in habius corpus. They get to to press their claims and as part and parcel, there's an issue of will they be detained or not. courts have issued orders and the friaking department of justice is just ignoring it. And you

9:52 know that itself is uh grading and more than that Schlitz lays out a pretty good um case in his order. You guys have basically brought hordes invaded the town. We've got hundreds of these hearings now. You've made no arrangements for judicial resources and how it happens. a a a sort of gerine contrast when the DOJ uh did the big January 6 series of cases. There was all kinds of coordination with the judges there to make sure that judicial resources weren't overloaded. In Pittsburgh, I did a special um gun reduction initiative that was going to take a lot of uh people and bring them to federal court.

10:33 You coordinate with the judges. They do it not at all. They showed no respect for the the judge and they're violating orders left and right. So really in both these cases his points are well taken. Now judges I've seen it before in Fitz Peak say I want bring me the head of the top person and sometimes it's the US attorney. I've been in that uncomfortable uh position here. It's the head of ICE come out from Washington. Look, it's not that big a deal. Pam Bond, he's been there for two days, but they're going to say, will the Department of Justice, oh, he can't possibly, he's doing all this other stuff besides judge, somebody else can show up on Friday and take the heat, etc. And I think it's quite possible, that's why I sort of started by separating them out. I think it's quite possible that the A circuit, pretty tough circuit, says, you know, we can't uh uh order them to bring the very top

11:31 dog as long as they bring someone who's qualified to actually uh speak here. And I think there's a real possibility that happens. But even so, we have the same subzim issues. What the heck are you doing? Why are you continually violating orders? You know, it's going to be for who's ever there. My best guess is it won't be the top person. Could be wrong, but that's my best guess. It's going to be a very uncomfortable hearing. So, they'll try to lay down the law and say, "You guys always represent. You're complying with orders. Guess what?

12:06 You're you're not doing it dozens and dozens of times. You better shape up or somebody better bring their toothbrush to the next uh hearing." And you know that's what Friday portends even if it isn't with the actual acting director of ICE.

12:23 You know it'll be interesting Harry because I would first off let's be clear Harry's clerked for two Supreme Court justices. He's worked everywhere. So me me disagreeing with Harry on court procedure is kind

12:34 not at all but me and Steve and I are in this little little nerdy club. Here's my here here here here's my only thought

12:43 that um in a normal circumstance the apex doctrine would seem to almost always insulate the top person on a and I I don't mean this in a coarse sense of the word run-of-the-mill when we're talking about human lives but on a oneoff case involving a single defendant to get the apex top individual the eighth circuit in normal circumstances would say we're not ordering that. A good example, somebody sues Microsoft. Uh no, somebody sues Apple because I don't know who the micro I don't know. I forgot the name of the Microsoft CEO. I'm sure I could Google it. But somebody sues Apple and there's a big fight. Apple should be held in contempt. The judge kind of suante goes, I want Tim Cook to be here. You know, there'd probably be a good argument. Did you go to this person, that person, that person before Tim Cook? Um, you know, and but the interesting thing here is that the DOJ ran to the ETH circuit on

13:47 the Don Lemon arrest. The ETH circuit is not blind to what's happening in Minnesota itself. Um, you know, and what's what what's happening there. We do know, you know, and again, these things don't happen in a vacuum. Steven Miller on uh Tuesday admitted that procedures were likely violated as it relates to Alex Prey and that the Border Patrol shouldn't have been doing what it was doing. It was there to serve as ancillary forces uh to provide barriers. They said while arrests were being made of fugitives. So Miller's throwing the Border Patrol under the bus. I I bring this all to say in light of Pret's murder, in light of, you know, what's happening there, could the eighth circuit just say, you know what, and we we we don't like to see what's happening. Go for it, judge, because it's a bad that, you know, that intangible factor may come into play.

14:48 But otherwise, I think your analysis in normal times, a normal ruling is what you suggest. We're in non-normal times. So, what happens? It's true. So, we'll see. And Schlitz is was really trying to You've seen this kind of letter. He says, "You gave his reputation. You know, Judge Colatin, I've never, you know, Judge Colin, I've never se uh these violations are happening and I we've never had this kind of complete they they've shown complete disregard for the court just in terms of judicial resources, not to mention thumbming their nose at order after order, a kind of practice we thought was done with.

15:32 Right. I want to say one other interesting point to me. you you adverted to it. A lot of the people that are getting these hearings uh are actually um the the very kinds of people the administration say they're not detaining, which is people who have done nothing uh wrong other than their papers being not in order. But you would think if a hard-hearted administration wanted to go after them, they'd be able to. They as as slits as mang we're talking about people whose papers are not in order. Maybe came illegally to the country but like 40 years ago since which time they have been productive members of the community and paid their taxes and done everything right. In other words, the very sorts of people who any kind of sensible, not to mention humane immigration policy would exempt.

16:29 a little bit. It's a little in the fl in the flavor of the dreamers. So, it is I'll just note it's interesting that a lot of these orders have come in cases where the um DOJ is seeming very technical, very hard-hearted, but we're still talking about immigration violations. So that's a whole new level I think that courts in their increasing loss of trust and uh respect and credibility with the DOJ they're you know pushing back even even where the DO at least in terms of the orders they provide for these uh folks or which orders DOJ are denying uh they're they're pushing back even on people who uh seem to have you know a a tough road to hoe to say they shouldn't be deported. Now, we have a little bit of this going on. I know you and I will be talking about it soon with an upcoming hearing with Abrago Garcia who the administration is trying hard to deport and under normal circumstances.

17:36 uh they would be able to but as you say talk about not normal circumstances and everything that came there and it's making a couple courts uh one in well especially one in Maryland think you know I want to I got to stand up for this person who is just being completely uh steamrolled by the entire US government. So so that's a sort of substantive kind of slice of what is happening as well. Harry Lintman runs the Talking Feds YouTube channel, the Talking Feds podcast, and the Talking Feds Substack. As soon as this video ends, go to the Talking Feds YouTube channel. Thanks, Harry.

18:14 Hey, thanks, man. Always a pleasure. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our Substack at midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Philipki, add free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at midasplus.com.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "FURIOUS GOP Judge ORDERS CONTEMPT of Trump ADMIN!!!"?

Ben (Guest), Harry Litman (Guest).

What is "FURIOUS GOP Judge ORDERS CONTEMPT of Trump ADMIN!!!" about?

A Republican-appointed federal judge in Minnesota, Chief Judge Patrick Schilz, has ordered the acting head of ICE to appear in court for a contempt hearing due to significant violations of court orders related to immigration enforcement actions under the Trump administration, specifically referencing Operation Metro Surge. This extraordinary move highlights the judge's frustration with the…

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

12 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Chief Judge Schultz, ETH circuit, Harry Litman, Todd Lions, Talking Feds, 8 USC section 1226. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "FURIOUS GOP Judge ORDERS CONTEMPT of Trump ADMIN!!!"?

The episode runs 19 min; the transcript is about 2,940 words in 24 timestamped sections.

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