ICE attorney out after 'this job sucks' comment
ICE attorney says the system, and her job 'sucks'
An attorney for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had an emotional response to a judge in federal court Tuesday. FOX 9 Investigator Paul Blume has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Two attorneys will no longer be working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota after acknowledging in court this week that the federal government is "overwhelmed" by litigation coming out of Operation Metro Surge.
Julie Le volunteered to help US Attorney's Office
What we know:
The FOX 9 Investigators confirmed Julie Le will no longer be handling immigration-related cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.
Le previously represented ICE in immigration court but volunteered to help the U.S. Attorney's office respond to a flood of litigation from immigrants who claim they have been wrongfully detained during Operation Metro Surge.
The FOX 9 Investigators previously reported that there have been more habeas petitions from immigrants in the first part of the year than in all of 2025.
Le assigned 85 cases since early January
What they're saying:
"It should come as no surprise that more habeas petitions are being filed by illegal aliens — especially after many activist judges have attempted to thwart President Trump from fulfilling the American people's mandate for mass deportations," a Department of Justice spokesperson said in a statement.
Le had been assigned to more than 85 of those cases, according to the federal court docket.
In court Tuesday, Le acknowledged that government attorneys were "overwhelmed" by the amount of litigation.
"This system sucks, this job sucks," Le said.
‘Pulling teeth’ to get ICE to comply with court orders
Dig deeper:
Le appeared in court to explain why ICE has repeatedly failed to comply with court orders.
Federal judges have ordered ICE to release numerous immigrants who have been wrongfully detained or have them returned from detention centers out of state so they can be granted bond hearings in Minnesota.
But last week a judge revealed that ICE had violated nearly 100 court orders in January alone.
Judge Jerry Blackwell echoed that frustration during Tuesday’s hearing.
"Some of this is of your own making because of non-compliance with orders," Blackwell said.
‘I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court…’
Le refused to answer questions from the FOX 9 Investigators after a separate court hearing last month.
But on Tuesday she acknowledged it has been like "pulling teeth" to get ICE to comply with judicial orders.
"I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court so I can get 24 hours of sleep," Le said.
Big picture view:
Le, who appeared emotional at times, was comforted in court by her colleague, Ana Voss.
Voss is the chief civil attorney responsible for managing more than 600 habeas petitions that have been filed since ICE ramped up enforcement operations in Minnesota.
But the FOX 9 Investigators confirmed Voss is also now leaving an already-depleted department.
"The Trump administration is more than prepared to handle the legal caseload necessary to deliver President Trump’s deportation agenda for the American people," the DOJ spokesperson said.
More than a dozen attorneys have left the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2026, including the lead attorneys prosecuting high-profile fraud investigations.
The Trump Administration has cited widespread fraud in Minnesota as justification for the immigration surge.