Patrick Schiltz, who served as Minnesota's Federal District Court chief judge last winter, called the Trump administration's actions "a grave threat to the rule of law." Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated nearly 100 court orders in January, including orders mandating the release of undocumented immigrants from detention. "ICE is not a law unto itself," Judge Schiltz wrote in his Jan. 28 order.

In a rare 90-minute interview, Judge Schiltz said the violations clogged his courthouse, contributed to rising tensions in Minneapolis, and put the constitutional order at risk. He attributed the breaches largely to incompetence and staffing shortages but worried the Justice Department had not taken their corrosive effect seriously enough. "I would say aloud to myself, 'This just never happens,'" he added.

Mattathias Schwartz visited the Twin Cities and spoke with Judge Schiltz and six other judges on Minnesota's Federal District Court. The judge, a George W. Bush appointee who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, declined to discuss ongoing cases but agreed to speak about last winter's tumult. A DHS spokesman said the department operates "in line with the U.S. Constitution and all applicable federal laws."

The legality of the administration's tactics during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis was challenged by a series of federal lawsuits.