• Julie Le requested Judge Jerry Blackwell hold her in contempt to get “24 hours of sleep” from crushing immigration caseloads
• The attorney was handling 88 cases in less than a month amid the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota
• Le was removed from her detail to the U.S. Attorney’s Office one day after the emotional courtroom admission

WASHINGTON (TDR) — President Donald Trump‘s Department of Justice has removed an attorney who infamously begged a federal judge to hold her in contempt and throw her in jail so she could sleep, following an emotional breakdown in court over the office’s crushing caseload handling immigration cases in Minnesota. Julie Le, who volunteered to assist the overwhelmed U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, made the shocking plea during a Feb. 4 hearing regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement violations of court orders.

Le, who normally works as an attorney for ICE in immigration court, had been detailed to help federal prosecutors handle a flood of habeas corpus petitions challenging detentions under Operation Metro Surge. The operation, which began in Dec. 2025, has seen more than 3,000 arrests in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area and sparked national outrage after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24.

Did Julie Le Request Contempt to Get 24 Hours of Sleep?

During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell, Le became visibly emotional as the judge pressed her on why ICE continued to detain immigrants despite court orders for their immediate release. According to Mediaite, Le admitted the government was overwhelmed and lacked proper guidance for federal court proceedings.

“I wish you would just hold me in contempt of court so I can get 24 hours of sleep. The system sucks, this job sucks, I am trying with every breath I have to get you what I need.” — Julie Le, ICE Attorney, Feb. 4

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Le explained that she had been assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, according to WRAL, which cited the Associated Press. The attorney described the process of getting ICE to comply with court orders as “pulling teeth,” requiring multiple escalations and threats to walk out just to correct release conditions for wrongfully detained individuals.

“It takes ten emails to get a release condition to be corrected. It takes two escalations and a threat that I will walk out for that to be corrected.” — Julie Le, detailing the compliance struggle, Feb. 4

Why Was the DOJ Attorney Removed From Her Post?

One day after the courtroom confession, Le’s detail to the U.S. Attorney’s Office was terminated. According to The Independent, a person familiar with the matter confirmed that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota ended her assignment following the public breakdown. The removal highlights the severe strain on federal prosecutors handling the administration’s immigration crackdown, which has prompted mass resignations from the Minnesota office.

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Judge Blackwell, a Biden appointee, called the hearing to address what he termed “alarming” failures by ICE to follow court orders, leaving detainees “unconstitutionally locked up for days” despite judicial mandates for release. He rejected Le’s explanations that volume justified non-compliance.

“Some of this is of your own making because of non-compliance with orders.” — Judge Jerry Blackwell, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, Feb. 4

The confrontation comes amid broader scrutiny of Operation Metro Surge, which House Oversight Committee Democrats say has created a “culture of impunity” leading to civilian deaths. At least six career prosecutors have resigned from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent weeks, with veteran prosecutor Joseph Thompson departing after objecting to the Department of Justice‘s refusal to investigate Good’s killing as a civil rights matter, according to The Daily Beast.

Le’s candor drew both sympathy and criticism from legal observers. Above the Law noted that while her honesty was “refreshing,” the incident underscores how the administration’s “flooding the zone” strategy has overwhelmed the courts. Meanwhile, CNN reported that Le’s emotional testimony represents the mounting frustration among government attorneys tasked with defending policies they describe as lacking proper legal infrastructure.

“We have no guidance or direction on what we need to do.” — Julie Le, on ICE’s federal court preparedness, Feb. 4

The KSTP news outlet reported that federal agents have arrested 3,500 people in Minnesota over nine weeks, while KARE 11 noted that Border Czar Tom Homan announced plans to withdraw 700 agents from the state following the violent incidents and legal challenges.

Will the removal of Julie Le deter other federal attorneys from speaking out about operational breakdowns?

## Sources

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