# Trump Admin Moves to Disqualify Judge Over ICE Criticism

> Trump administration seeks judge recusal after criticizing ICE's deportation tactics.
- Title: Trump Admin Moves to Disqualify Judge Over ICE Criticism
- Summary: Trump administration seeks judge recusal after criticizing ICE's deportation tactics. Trump administration moved to disqualify Minnesota judge who criticized…
- Keywords: trump administration, u.s. district judge, john tunheim, immigration and customs enforcement, minnesota, voting fraud, ice, deportation raids, recusal motion, federal court, crime, news
- Source: Law & Crime — https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/appearance-of-bias-trump-admin-moves-to-disqualify-judge-who-criticized-ice-for-conduct-during-minnesota-deportation-raids
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: trump administration, u.s. district judge, john tunheim, immigration and customs enforcement, minnesota, voting fraud, ice, deportation raids, recusal motion, federal court, crime, news
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Trump administration moved to disqualify Minnesota judge who criticized ICE's conduct during Minnesota deportation raids.