US Justice Department removes a government lawyer after ‘this job sucks’ outburst in court

WEB DESK: In an extraordinary courtroom breakdown, the US Justice Department (DOJ) has removed a government lawyer from her assignment in Minnesota after she openly criticised the immigration system and the administration’s failure to comply with court orders.

According to Reuters, Julie Le, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorney detailed to the US Attorney’s Office, made the remarks during a heated hearing before US District Judge Jerry Blackwell in St. Paul on Tuesday.

The hearing was called to address the administration’s repeated non-compliance with court orders in several cases, including directives to release detainees swept up in “Operation Metro Surge”, a major immigration enforcement effort under the Trump administration.

‘The system sucks’ According to a court transcript, a visibly exhausted Le told the judge that she had “stupidly” volunteered for the assignment on January 5 to help manage the flood of hundreds of lawsuits challenging the detentions.

“What do you want me to do?” Le asked the judge. “The system sucks. This job sucks.”

She further admitted that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had failed to comply with court orders “in the past or currently,” and expressed frustration over a lack of proper training from the DOJ.

“Sometime I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honour, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep,” she added.

DOJ Responds

A Justice Department spokesperson countered the attorney’s claims, asserting that the administration is “fully enforcing federal immigration law” and blaming high caseloads on “rogue judges.”

Following the outburst, a source familiar with the matter confirmed that the DOJ has cut short Le’s assignment in Minnesota. A DHS spokesperson described her remarks as “unprofessional and unbecoming,” though it remains unclear if she has been returned to her previous role or face further disciplinary action.

Internal Strain The incident highlights the growing strain within the US Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. Earlier this month, six prosecutors resigned in protest over the administration’s handling of an investigation into the fatal shooting of a civilian by an immigration agent.

Le, who noted in court that she is a person of color, expressed a personal connection to the cases she was handling. “My family’s at risk as any other people that might get picked up too, so I share the same concern, and I took that concern to heart,” she told the judge.

Judge Blackwell, while acknowledging the energy the DOJ was expending, remarked that much of the strain was “of your own making by not complying with orders