Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz on Thursday canceled a scheduled contempt hearing that would have required Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to appear after the government confirmed it had released a detained immigrant in violation of a court order.
The hearing stemmed from a habeas corpus petition filed Jan. 8 by a detainee identified as Juan T.R.
After immigration officials failed to respond to the petition within the time required by law, Schiltz ordered ICE to provide the detainee with a bail hearing within seven days or release him immediately. ICE did neither.
When the government again failed to comply, the court issued a show-cause order and scheduled a contempt hearing, requiring Lyons to appear.
The judge stated the hearing would be canceled if ICE released Juan T.R. On Thursday, the parties filed a stipulation confirming his release, prompting Schiltz to cancel the hearing.
Despite the cancellation, Schiltz issued a sharply worded warning to ICE, attaching an appendix identifying 96 court orders the agency has allegedly violated in 74 cases since Jan. 1. The judge said the list was likely incomplete and understated the scope of the problem.
"This list should give pause to anyone, no matter his or her political beliefs, who cares about the rule of law," Schiltz wrote, adding that ICE has "likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence."
The judge warned that continued noncompliance could result in future contempt proceedings requiring Lyons or other senior officials to appear, emphasizing that "ICE is not a law unto itself" and must obey court orders unless they are overturned or vacated.
Schiltz declined to schedule a hearing on potential sanctions related to Juan T.R.'s detention but said the petitioner may seek monetary penalties through a properly supported motion.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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