Minnesota Judge Holds DOJ Attorney in Contempt Over Immigration Case

ST. PAUL, MN — In a stinging rebuke of the federal government’s handling of immigration cases, U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino held a Department of Justice attorney in civil contempt on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The judge cited “flagrant disobedience of court orders” after the government failed to return identification documents to a Mexican national who had been ordered released from custody.

The ruling marks the first time a federal attorney has faced court-ordered sanctions during the current administration’s second term, highlighting the deepening “tsunami” of litigation resulting from Operation Metro Surge.

The Case: Rigoberto Soto Jimenez

The contempt order involves the case of Rigoberto Soto Jimenez, a Big Lake, Minnesota, resident with no criminal history who was arrested on January 14.

• The Release Order: On February 9, Judge Provinzino ordered Soto Jimenez’s immediate release, finding his detention unlawful. She explicitly required the government to return him to Minnesota and restore “all property” to him.
• The Violation: Instead of a local release, ICE transported Soto Jimenez to El Paso, Texas. When he was finally released, the agency kept his identification paperwork, including his Minnesota driver’s license and Mexican consular ID, leaving him stranded in a border state without credentials.
• The Contempt: During a “show cause” hearing, the judge demanded to know why the documents had not been returned nearly a week after her deadline.

“The System Sucks”: A Department Under Strain

The attorney held in contempt, Matthew Isihara, is a U.S. Army JAG officer detailed to the DOJ to help manage a massive spike in habeas corpus petitions.

• The Defense: Isihara apologized, stating the case had “fallen through the cracks” due to an “overwhelming caseload.” He noted he has been assigned nearly 130 cases in the last month alone following a wave of resignations in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office.
• The Rejection: Judge Provinzino rejected the “understaffing” defense. “The government’s understaffing and high caseload is a problem of its own making,” she stated, adding it “absolutely does not justify flagrant disobedience of court orders.”

“The government’s only argument… is that the failure to comply was not intentional or willful. But willfulness is not a requirement to impose coercive civil contempt sanctions.” — Judge Laura Provinzino, Feb 18, 2026

The Sanctions and Broader Impact

The court imposed the following penalties to compel compliance:

• Daily Fines: Isihara was ordered to pay $500 per day starting Thursday, February 19, until the identification documents are returned.
• Mounting Violations: The ruling comes just days after the DOJ admitted to violating over 50 court orders in New Jersey and follows the high-profile “meltdown” of another DOJ attorney, Julie Le, who told a judge “this job sucks” before being removed from her detail.

Tensions Between Branches