The chief legal officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has left the agency. This follows the removal of an ICE attorney who told a district judge “this job sucks” and said the Trump administration was “overwhelmed” with immigration cases.
Jim Stolley retired after 31 years of service. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the retirement was long planned.
Stolley wrote in an automatic email “I have retired from public service” and referred queries to the duty attorney. Phone contact attempts failed.
Minnesota courts have faced a surge in immigration cases since the Trump administration ramped up enforcement last December.
ICE attorney Julie Le was removed earlier this week. Sent temporarily to handle the influx, she told a judge the job “sucks” due to heavy workloads and delays in court compliance, likening fixes to “pulling teeth.”
The administration then scaled back operations. It withdrew 700 federal officers from Minnesota immediately.
“Maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough,” President Donald Trump said to NBC News.
Last month federal agents shot two U.S. citizens, sparking protests. Local leaders failed to halt the raids via court order, amid reports of strained detention facilities.