An exasperated and frustrated Department of Homeland Security attorney declared in a stunning moment in court that her job “sucks,” the existing legal process "sucks," and that she sometimes wishes that the judge would hold her in contempt so she "can have a full 24 hours of sleep."Julie Le, who according to public records is a Department of Homeland Security attorney that had been detailed to the U.S.Attorney’s office, was called to testify Tuesday in U.S.
District Court in St.Paul, Minn., about why the government has been nonresponsive to judicial orders regarding people in ICE detention. "What do you want me to do? The system sucks,” Le told Judge Jerry Blackwell, according to a court transcript obtained by ABC News. "This job sucks.
And I am trying [with] every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need.” Blackwell said the administration has routinely not been following court mandates, ignoring multiple orders for detainees to be released that has resulted in their continued detainment for days or even weeks. In this Dec.15, 2021, file photo, the U.S.
District Courthouse for the District of Minnesota is shown in St.Paul, Minn.Nikolas Liepins/AP, FILE"The overwhelming majority of the hundreds [of individuals] seen by this court have been found to be lawfully present as of now in the country," said Blackwell.
"In some instances, it is the continued detention of a person the Constitution does not permit the government to hold and who should have been left alone, that is, not arrested in the first place," according to the transcript.Operation Metro Surge has "generated a volume of arrests and detentions that has taxed existing systems, staffing, and coordination between DOJ and the DHS," Blackwell acknowledged, but said that was no excuse for the government's lack of response to court orders.Minneapolis live updates: Trump says his admin could use a 'softer touch' on immigration"The volume of cases and matters is not a justification...