From Law & Crime · · 3m
Trump Admin Moves to Disqualify Judge Over ICE Criticism
Trump administration seeks judge recusal after criticizing ICE's deportation tactics.
In brief
Trump administration seeks judge recusal after criticizing ICE's deportation tactics. Trump administration moved to disqualify Minnesota judge who criticized ICE's conduct during Minnesota deportation raids. Originally reported by Law & Crime.
Trump admin moves to disqualify judge
The Trump administration has moved to disqualify a federal judge in a criminal case where a noncitizen is accused of trying to vote by falsely claiming citizenship.
Judge criticized ICE conduct
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim, a Bill Clinton appointee, criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the state of immigration dockets in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Operation Metro Surge
Beginning in December 2025, thousands of ICE agents swept the Twin Cities for immigrants in a massive series of often violent roundups.
Trump admin claims largest immigration operation
The Trump administration boasted this controversial campaign was 'the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out'.
Judge's statement on voting
Judge Tunheim stated 'they weren't arresting, in my view, people who were dangerous criminals on the street'.
Motion to disqualify
The motion to disqualify takes stock of a New York Times article 'ridiculing the Administration's immigration enforcement priorities'.
Judge's criticism of ICE
The judge criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the state of immigration dockets in the Land of 10,000 Lakes following 'Operation Metro Surge'.
Motion cites partisan context
The motion argues the judge's statement 'must be understood in the context of the overarching article: a partisan critique of the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement operation'.
Another judge's comments
The motion notes another judge quoted in the article referred to the government's immigration policies as reminiscent of foreign 'authoritarian' governments like 'Russia' and 'China'.
Motion cites precedent
The DOJ cites appeals court precedent to establish that the standard for disqualification is a question of 'whether the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned by the average person on the street who knows all…
Judge's statements deemed political
The government says Tunheim's comments were both 'factually inaccurate' and 'an unvarnished political opinion'.
Motion for recusal
The DOJ claims Judge Tunheim should recuse from the case due to the appearance of bias in immigration-related cases.
Another judge's comments
The motion also cites U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz, who made similar comments about the Trump administration acting 'authoritarian'.
What happens next
The Trump administration has moved to disqualify a federal judge in a criminal case where a noncitizen is accused of trying to vote by falsely claiming citizenship.
The headline
Trump administration moved to disqualify Minnesota judge who criticized ICE's conduct during Minnesota deportation raids.
