Julie Le, an ICE attorney assigned to Minnesota’s immigration crackdown, was removed from her post this week after telling a federal judge that the job “sucks,” primarily due to crushing workloads and recurring failures to follow court orders.
“Sometimes I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep," Le said, according to court transcripts seen by The Jerusalem Post. “What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks.”
Le, who was detailed to the Twin Cities for the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge, made the remarks during a Tuesday hearing in Minneapolis.
She acknowledged that the government did not have enough lawyers on the ground and said she had considered resigning as judges threatened contempt over continued noncompliance.
Le told US District Judge Jerry Blackwell that fixing case errors was like “pulling teeth” and that, despite her efforts, release conditions for some detainees were imposed without court authorization.
The court has pressed the government over delays in freeing immigrants who judges found were unlawfully held in Minnesota or have been flown to the detention center in Texas.
Le said she initially volunteered for the assignment because colleagues were overwhelmed, adding that “the system sucks” and that she was trying with “every breath” to get the court what it needed.
Blackwell said he believed Le and a Justice Department colleague were working in good faith, but warned that a court order “is not advisory” and could not be treated as optional amid agency strain. He noted that having “too many detainees” or “not enough infrastructure” does not excuse continued detention.
Le explained that while she had already submitted her resignation, she had been asked to remain in her role while ICE looked for a replacement.
“And before I walk out, I was able to release another individual, a juvenile. That was kind of like a step -- like a barrier. Like, wait, Julie, stop. You need to go back and get more people out,” she said.
The chief judge of Minnesota’s federal trial court said last week that ICE likely violated nearly 100 court orders in January. Judges have also questioned ICE for imposing release conditions not approved by the court.
ICE’s Operation Metro Surge
Operation Metro Surge began in December 2025, with the initial focus being the Twin Cities before expanding across Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security has described it as the largest immigration enforcement operation it has ever carried out.
The surge has been marked by tougher tactics and clashes around oversight, as well as threats and confrontations involving observers, according to critics and rights groups.
Officials issued guidance last week to scale back elements of Metro Surge, directing officers to avoid engaging with agitators and prioritize targets with criminal charges or convictions, after protests and two fatal shootings of US citizens in Minneapolis.
A separate federal judge in Minnesota declined to halt the operation. Some agents involved in a high-profile shooting were placed on leave, and a senior Border Patrol commander was reassigned.