Seven US Judges Face Ethics Complaint Over Immigration Comments
Seven federal judges in Minnesota are facing a serious ethics complaint. The United States Justice Department filed the complaint against them. This follows their public comments about the Trump administration’s immigration actions.
The judges spoke to The New York Times newspaper this month. They talked about the high number of cases during an immigration crackdown. This operation, called “Operation Metro Surge,” led to thousands of arrests. These arrests happened in the Minneapolis-St Paul area between December and February.
The Justice Department says the judges broke ethical rules by speaking publicly about ongoing cases. Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the judges of showing clear bias against the Trump administration. He asked them to not handle any cases involving the Department of Homeland Security.
Attorney General Blanche told reporters that the judges violated rules. He said they showed bias in their comments. For these reasons, he stated the department had to act.
The judges deny any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for Minnesota’s federal court system said legal experts found the judges acted correctly. They were “well within the ethical rules,” the spokesperson stated.
This complaint is the latest in ongoing disagreements. The Trump administration and the judiciary have often clashed. Courts have stopped some of the president’s policies. Judges have also accused government lawyers of not following court orders.
One of the judges in the complaint is Patrick Schiltz. He claimed the government did not follow nearly 100 court orders. These orders were about immigration enforcement in January alone. He wrote in one decision that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement “is not a law unto itself.”
Judge Schiltz was chosen by Republican President George W Bush. He later told The New York Times that the crackdown threatened the rule of law. Judge Schiltz also pointed to guidance from a federal ethics panel. It said judges can speak publicly about issues like the rule of law. He stated that this is exactly what he did.
