The differences in tactics between DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, who preferred mass round-ups, and those of Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons, who preferred targeted arrests, ended up in Judge Schlitz’s court. Judge Schlitz ordered Todd Lyons to appear in court under threat of contempt charges.
An innocent person, at least one, was caught up in a round-up, and the judge wanted him freed. That person is now free, and the judge won’t demand Lyons show up in court.
A federal judge in Minnesota confirmed Wednesday afternoon that ICE Director Todd Lyons will not have to appear before a court on Friday. Attached to that order is an appendix that identifies 96 court orders ICE has violated in 74 cases. @CourthouseNews https://t.co/5DH483Nbvu pic.twitter.com/sepv1uzfpv
— Ryan Luetkemeyer (@ryanluetkem) January 28, 2026
The Story
Judge Patrick Schiltz is no longer demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief Todd Lyons appear in court to answer questions about the Trump Administration’s deportation policies. The Noem-Bovino team didn’t process the arrestees in a legally timely fashion. There aren’t enough immigration judges available.
The judge made the demand because immigration agents had been unresponsive to various court requests and even litigation demands.
Kristi Noem sidelined ICE Chief Lyons because he prefers targeted immigration enforcement to roundups at workplaces.
Noem elevated Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino to the position, and the Border Patrol conducted some mass roundups. It is not what the Border Patrol usually does.
The judge wanted only one person in detention processed and released. That has now taken place.
The Tension Continues
Noem’s Department of Homeland Security General Counsel sent a directive to Lyons’ employees telling them to ignore a memo from Lyons reminding them that they reported to him. Noem did this after the president re-empowered Lyons. That signals future tension between them, but Noem appears sidelined now.
Homan and Lyons insist the law requiring processing must be followed. Noem insisted they needed to meet the administration’s directive for increased arrests and deportations.
How else do we get to the mass deportation stage?
Targeting, as opposed to roundups, slows arrests and deportations, but it leaves open the possibility of innocent people ending up in detention. If they are not processed, it means unlawful detention.
Todd Lyons is a good ICE Director, but Kristi Noem wanted Greg Bovino to round up illegal aliens in large numbers. That is a tactic used in dealing with the mob, for example.
Kristi Noem was responding to the need to get tens of millions of illegals out of the country and the administration’s goals.
Most sane people agree the criminals must go, not the Democrat leadership, but I said sane. That is what will now take place. Criminals will be targeted. Chief Bovino was mostly doing that and was doing that when Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed. The Chief caught many bad people here illegally.
Tom Homan and Todd Lyons are good, too. They need more immigration judges, and mostly they need funding. They have to get that funding bill passed.
Oh, for the good old days when Dwight Eisenhower could round them up, put them on trains, and send them home.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons explains that sanctuary policies won’t stop ICE from arresting the Worst of the Worst, then raises the question:
Why do sanctuary jurisdictions hide and harbor violent criminal illegal aliens? pic.twitter.com/PsLl6oNdd8
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) November 16, 2025
I doubt Noem was breaking laws on deportation. If she were, the left and courts would be screaming. Instead, the left wants to make up new laws, such as a warrant is required.
Notice that this policy debate is being amplified as much as possible, while the DOJ gets little or no bad press. It’s a misdirection.
Way too many immigration officers are being thrown under the bus just for doing their job. Allot of people voted for President Trump because they wanted this to happen, some just can’t handle the images. Many of the protesters are being paid to be there and have traveled from out of state and of course are getting all the positive… Read more »