The top lawyer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has left the agency, the same week an ICE attorney was removed after telling a district judge that “this job sucks” and that the Trump administration is “overwhelmed” with immigration cases. Chief Counsel Jim Stolley retired after 31 years of service, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN. Stolley said in an automatic email response, “I have retired from public service,” and directed inquiries to the duty attorney. Minnesota courts have been inundated with immigration cases since the Trump administration began surging immigration enforcement to the state in December. The Trump administration’s crackdown in Minnesota has also faced pushback from state and local officials, who failed to convince a federal judge in Minneapolis to temporarily block the operation.

Source: CNN February 08, 2026 01:59 UTC