A person hold a sign during a protest at a Target store on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
An attorney who was working for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cases has been removed after she publicly expressed frustration with the overwhelming amount of work she and others like her had to do.
Julie Le, who was representing the DOJ is no longer detailed to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her job “sucks”, NBC News reported.
The incident happened on Tuesday at the US District Court in St Paul, Minnesota, where Judge Jerry Blackwell had ordered Le, as well as Assistant US Attorney Ana Voss, to appear in his courtroom to explain why DHS missed multiple deadlines to release five detainees who the judge said never should have been arrested in the first place.
“The system sucks. This job sucks. I wish you could hold me in contempt so that I could get 24 hours of sleep,” Le said, according to FOX9.
While Le said procedures are being implemented to ensure ICE complies with court orders moving forward, she admitted it has been like pulling teeth and has required non-stop work in an already depleted office.
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“The system sucks, this job sucks, I am trying with every breath I have to get you what I need. I wish you could hold me in contempt so that I could get 24 hours of sleep,” Le said, according to NBC News.
According to FOX9, Judge Blackwell expressed frustration that people with no criminal records are being wrongfully detained even after judges have ordered their immediate release.
The report added that Le volunteered to help the US Attorney’s Office last month as habeas petitions started to flood into federal court.
A review by NBC News found that Le had picked up 88 cases in less than a month.
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Le further told Judge Blackwell that “it takes 10 emails from me for a release condition to be corrected. It takes me threatening to walk out for something else to be corrected.”
Le also said she did not feel properly trained for the role she is trying to fill.
Following her outburst in the court, NBC News said Le has been removed from the cases.
Le’s courtroom outburst is the latest case of lawyers quitting the DHS due to frustration over overwhelming work and disagreement with the immigration crackdown.
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In January, at least six federal prosecutors in the Minnesota US Attorney’s Office resigned in protest of the DOJ’s handling of an ICE shooting involving agents Jonathan Ross and the death of Renee Good, specifically citing pressure to investigate the victim’s widow while declining to investigate the shooter.
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A person hold a sign during a protest at a Target store on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) 
