Government lawyer yanked from immigration detail in Minnesota after telling judge ‘this job sucks’

Justice Department Attorney Removed After Courtroom Outburst Over Immigration Caseload

A Justice Department attorney has been removed from her position after telling a federal judge that her “job sucks” during a court hearing related to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Julie Le, who had been working for the Justice Department on a temporary assignment from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was relieved of her duties by the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota following her unusual courtroom comments on Tuesday. The decision came after Le expressed frustration with her overwhelming caseload during proceedings in St. Paul.

“What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need,” Le told U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell, according to court transcripts. She even suggested the judge hold her in contempt of court “so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep.”

Le’s candid remarks highlight the extraordinary pressure placed on the federal court system since President Donald Trump returned to office last year with promises to implement mass deportation policies. The immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has become ICE’s largest operation of its kind, dramatically ramping up since early January.

Court records show Le was assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, creating an unsustainable workload. The strain has been felt throughout the system, with several prosecutors reportedly leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota amid frustrations with both the immigration enforcement surge and the Justice Department’s handling of fatal shootings involving federal agents.

During the hearing, Judge Blackwell expressed concern that individuals arrested during immigration operations were routinely remaining incarcerated for days after judges had ordered their release from custody. He was unsympathetic to Le’s workload complaints.

“And I hear the concerns about all the energy that this is causing the DOJ to expend, but, with respect, some of it is of your own making by not complying with orders,” the judge told Le.

Le explained she had previously worked as an ICE attorney in immigration court before she “stupidly” volunteered for the Minnesota assignment. She claimed she lacked proper training for the role and had attempted to resign but couldn’t secure a replacement.

“Fixing a system, a broken system, I don’t have a magic button to do it. I don’t have the power or the voice to do it,” she said.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin addressed the situation in a statement, noting that Le was a probationary attorney. “This conduct is unprofessional and unbecoming of an ICE attorney in abandoning her obligation to act with commitment, dedication, and zeal to the interests of the United States Government,” McLaughlin said.

The situation reflects broader challenges within the immigration enforcement system under the current administration. Defense attorney Kira Kelley, who represented two petitioners at the hearing, argued that the flood of immigration petitions is necessary because “so many people being detained without any semblance of a lawful basis.”

“And there’s no indication here that any new systems or bolded e-mails or any instructions to ICE are going to fix any of this,” Kelley added.

The incident comes amid growing concerns from legal experts and civil rights organizations about the rapid expansion of immigration enforcement operations and whether federal agencies have adequate resources to handle cases constitutionally. Courts across the country are experiencing similar backlogs as the administration pursues its aggressive immigration agenda.

Neither Le nor the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota immediately responded to requests for comment on the situation.