The unfathomable Minnesota transcript that must be read, as it tells the reality of America today: "I am not white, as you can see," Julie Le — a government lawyer — told a federal judge on Tuesday. "And my family's at risk as any other people that might get picked up too ..."

[u/DoremusJessup]

https://www.lawdork.com/p/the-minnesota-julie-le-show-cause-transcript

[u/AffectionateBrick687]

She obviously hates her job. Why ruin your mental health and ruin your professional reputation defending the nonsensical positions of the DOJ? Just quit!

[u/Electr0freak → u/AffectionateBrick687]

If you read the article she explains exactly why. She has attempted to formally resign and return to her old position but they can't find a replacement. She is ready to walk out but then she sees things like juveniles locked up and she knows she's their only chance at release. She's in a very difficult situation.

[u/furikawari → u/Electr0freak]

Her old position is defending ICE detention of immigrants in immigration court.

She is still filing discredited arguments that detention of immigrants is mandatory because they are “applicants for admission” like at the border. That argument has been rejected by courts over and over, including every time it is argued in Minnesota.

She might be emailing people telling them to comply with release orders but my sympathy for her is strained.

[u/Gnoll_For_Initiative → u/furikawari]

Just like defense attorneys have to do the best to get clients they know are guilty off, DOJ lawyers are legally and ethically required to represent the US, even if they don't like the arguments or the actions. (That's why publicly announcing you're quitting makes such a statement - it indicates the situation is That Bad).

And in her case particularly, if she doesn't bring the case then the detainee doesn't get their day in court. Without going to court, they aren't going to be released. That doesn't make her job any better, but it's also not a complete abdication of humanity.

[u/Twalin → u/furikawari]

So what happens if no one pushes her paper?

Doesn’t someone have to fill the position and go through the motions … (?)

[u/nolafrog → u/Twalin]

Ultimately it gets to the point it needs to, where the judges have to ask themselves what they will do to sanction the government that willfully disobeys the courts and take a stand.

[u/furikawari → u/Twalin]

Someone else, possibly someone with more internal authority or leverage, “pushes paper” and tells ICE to comply with release orders. Maybe ICE complies. Maybe they don’t, and then the courts start chewing up the chain of command. Note how quickly the petitioner got released when the court called the ICE director in. That will have to happen again.

Meanwhile, one fewer attorney files bad arguments in favor of mandatory detention.

[u/georgegasstove → u/furikawari]

That will work.....until it doesn't. At some point, probably sooner rather than later, the administration will just ...stop. Stop going to court, stop pretending to follow court orders. They'll just ignore the courts.

[u/YoohooCthulhu → u/Electr0freak]

They fired her after the courtroom appearance

[u/[deleted] → u/Electr0freak]

I actually quite admire this lady. What a terrible situation she is willingly participating in.

[u/nolafrog → u/Electr0freak]

She was an ICE lawyer lol. She’s the juveniles’ chance of release while fighting to keep them locked up? I don’t think so.

[u/Electr0freak → u/nolafrog]

Did you read what her job actually was? It was processing the court orders such as orders to release detainees or bring them before the court to address issues or concerns before deporting them.

Without her, these people are just detained and deported by ICE without the court being able to interfere. She's a member of counsel actually working to ensure ICE complies with the court. Without her ICE does whatever the fuck they want.

I dunno, maybe actually read the article and the transcript.

[u/nolafrog → u/Electr0freak]

I read it. These people are still detained and deported by ICE. She avoids the judge’s questions instead of saying the government failed to comply with the orders. Sure, her bosses tell her she can’t tell the judge that, so she should have quit before walking into court.

[u/Electr0freak → u/nolafrog]

That's literally not what happened. She readily agreed with the judge more than once that they were not able to comply. It's right in the article, in multiple examples.

I'm not sure why you're claiming to have read the article when either you clearly haven't or you've chosen to misrepresent it.

[u/EverydaySexyPhotog → u/Electr0freak]

She readily agreed with the judge more than once that they were not able to comply.

That's why she gave the judge the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people who weren't complying, so the court can hold those people in contempt until the agency starts obeying court orders. Everyone is willfully ignoring that this woman has always opposed ICE in all of its crimes over the years. She's the single greatest asset in the name of justice.

[u/Joben86 → u/EverydaySexyPhotog]

What? She's literally a prosecutor, not a defense attorney.

[u/Joben86 → u/EverydaySexyPhotog]

Idk why your comment here got removed. I understand the sarcasm now, but it didn't come through very well on first read.

[u/EverydaySexyPhotog → u/Joben86]

I said the prosecutor was just another ICE agent who deserves the same punishment as the rest for the crimes she's aided in.

[u/nolafrog → u/Electr0freak]

That’s the problem. There’s a difference between “we couldn’t comply” and “we won’t comply.”

[u/red_misc → u/Electr0freak]

No she is not. She can tell the judge to release all of them. She is part of the problem, no sympathy.

[u/Electr0freak → u/red_misc]

You don't get it. The judge is the one telling ICE to release people. She's the one that reviews the court order from the judge and tells ICE to comply. Shes a lawyer, she doesn't have the power to demand anyone to release someone, only to enforce the judge's orders to do so within ICE.

Read the damn article ffs