DOJ Seeks Recusal of Minnesota Judges Over Immigration Remarks
18 sourcesUpdated Oct 22, 20261 min read
The Justice Department is seeking to remove Minnesota federal judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim from separate cases. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward cited their remarks about the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation—including its effects on Minnesota courts and doubts that agents targeted the "worst of the worst"—as raising ethical concerns. The cases involve the administration's effort to revoke a Minnesota man's citizenship and a noncitizen accused of illegally voting in the 2024 election. The judges have described the surge's impact on the courts and stressed their responsibility to ensure people's rights are addressed. An attorney in one case called the DOJ's argument contrived and baseless. The motions follow a broader DOJ effort to challenge judges over public remarks, including a separate, unsuccessful bid to disqualify Judge Ana Reyes in Washington.
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Left· 5 sources
“Minnesota Star-Tribune”Center· 4 sources
“Bradenton Herald”Right· 3 sources
“Washington Times”The DOJ is right to push for recusal when judges publicly attack enforcement before ruling on related voting issues.
Judges have every right to criticize harsh immigration tactics without being pulled from cases over it.
