Crackdown Overload: Minnesota Courts Buckle Under Immigrant Detention Surge

Minnesota federal courts are overwhelmed by a surge of immigration-related habeas cases tied to the Trump administration’s crackdown. Prosecutors say the case load, limited training, and detainee backlogs have stretched staff, with at least one DOJ attorney bluntly telling a judge, 'The system sucks. This job sucks.' The hearing before Judge Jerry Blackwell highlighted the government’s failure to follow court orders to release detainees and underscored that agencies must operate within constitutional limits, a concern echoed by judges nationwide.