DOJ Removes Attorney After She Tells Judge 'System Sucks'
The Department of Justice removed attorney Julie Le from her post after she criticized the federal immigration system during a Minnesota court hearing.
The United States Department of Justice removed Julie Le, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney detailed to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, after she told a federal judge that "the system sucks" and "this job sucks." During a February 3, 2026, hearing in St. Paul, Le expressed extreme exhaustion and begged U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell to hold her in contempt of court so she could obtain 24 hours of sleep.
Le's outburst occurred while she was explaining the government's failure to comply with judicial orders to release immigrant detainees. She cited a lack of training and a crushing workload, noting she had picked up at least 88 cases in less than a month. Judge Blackwell rejected these excuses, asserting that the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and ICE "are not above the law" and that case volume does not justify the dilution of constitutional rights.
These events unfolded during "Operation Metro Surge," a massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota that resulted in thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens. Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz documented that ICE violated 96 court orders across 74 cases in the state. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota has faced a crisis of its own, with more than 40 assistant U.S. attorneys quitting or retiring amid a surge of over 500 habeas corpus petitions.
In response to the courtroom incident, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned Le's conduct as "unprofessional and unbecoming." Following the hearing, Le was returned to her role at ICE and another attorney, Ana Voss, resigned. Border Czar Tom Homan later announced a partial drawdown of 700 federal agents from the region.
