The aggressive enforcement tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are causing a breakdown in the United States court system, particularly in states like Minnesota. Since December, “Operation Metro Surge” has led to the arrest of approximately 4,000 individuals, triggering a flood of legal challenges that are straining federal courts beyond capacity.
According to court records, the number of habeas corpus petitions filed in Minnesota in recent months nearly matches the total filed across the entire US in a full year. This surge is a direct consequence of increased detentions and policy changes implemented under the Trump administration, which have severely limited detainees’ access to legal recourse. The result is a system where judges, attorneys, and prosecutors are overwhelmed while detainees languish in detention, often far from their homes, even after judges have ordered their release.
The Breaking Point for Legal Professionals
The sheer volume of cases is taking a visible toll on legal professionals. One Minnesota immigration attorney, Graham Ojala-Barbour, admits to being consumed by habeas petitions: “I’ve never said the word habeas so many times in my life.” The exhaustion is systemic. A former assistant US attorney, Julie Le, even pleaded with a judge to hold her in contempt just to get a break from the relentless workload, listing 88 cases she was handling at the time. Le later resigned, bluntly telling the court, “This job sucks.”
The US Attorney’s Office for Minnesota acknowledged struggling to keep up with the influx, admitting that at least one court order demanding a detainee’s release was overlooked. The situation is far worse for detainees themselves, many of whom describe overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, including sharing cells with individuals sick with Covid and facing pressure to self-deport.
Policy Shifts Fueling the Crisis
The crisis stems from two key shifts in immigration policy: first, a substantial increase in the number of people being detained (over 70,000 as of January 25, up from less than 15,000 under the previous administration) and second, a restrictive reinterpretation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This reinterpretation has effectively eliminated the right to bond hearings for many undocumented immigrants who previously would have been granted one.
As a result, habeas petitions have become the primary, and in some cases only, way for detainees to challenge their imprisonment. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the Trump administration’s interpretation, further complicating matters for detainees held in Texas facilities under that jurisdiction.
Systemic Failures and Lack of Accountability
The problem extends beyond workload. Government attorneys are struggling to comply with court orders, leaving detainees in custody longer than legally permissible. One judge called this noncompliance a threat to “the rights of individuals in custody and the integrity of the constitutional system itself.”
The rapid turnover of US attorneys handling these cases (Julie Le and Ana Voss have both left their positions) suggests deeper systemic issues. The situation is not limited to Minnesota; similar spikes in habeas petitions have been reported in Texas and Georgia, with over 18,000 cases filed nationwide since January 2025.
The current crisis demonstrates how aggressive immigration enforcement, combined with legal policy changes, can overwhelm the US court system, leaving both legal professionals and detainees trapped in a cycle of exhaustion and injustice.
The scale of these legal challenges is unsustainable. Without systemic reform, the court system will continue to buckle under the weight of ICE’s enforcement policies.
