DOJ Deluge: JAG Faces Contempt Charges and Fines Amidst Resignations

In a recent development from Minnesota, a judge has held a military lawyer from the Department of Justice in civil contempt, warning of daily fines until the Trump administration returns the identification documents of a released ICE detainee. This incident is the latest in a series of governmental noncompliance issues tied to a significant turnover among federal prosecutors.

The situation has been exacerbated by staffing shortages, which became evident a few weeks ago. More than a dozen prosecutors resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, largely due to the Department of Justice’s failure to initiate civil rights investigations into the fatal ICE and CBP shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

In an effort to manage the workload during Operation Metro Surge, a Department of Homeland Security attorney stepped in to assist. The attorney attempted to justify the government’s repeated inability to adhere to court orders in habeas corpus cases, citing a lack of support and guidance.

Julie Le, the DHS attorney, expressed her desperation to the judge, admitting that she was overwhelmed by the volume of cases and lacked proper training in federal court procedures as opposed to handling immigration matters within the executive branch’s Immigration Court.

U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell commented on the burgeoning caseloads, cautioning that “detention is not lawful simply because complying with release orders presents administrative challenges or because an operation has outgrown the government’s ability to manage it lawfully.”

Blackwell, one of Derek Chauvin’s prosecutors, also suggested he was frustrated that he has repeatedly had to ask for “the date, time, and location of the release of someone who was ordered released, in many instances, a week or more in the past” and not gotten that answer.

Le then uttered the words that made it no surprise she would be swiftly removed from her role: “the system sucks” and “this job sucks.”

A new addition to Bondi’s team may have found himself in a similar bind.

Matthew Isihara has been helping out U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s DOJ as a special assistant U.S. attorney (SAUSA) on numerous habeas cases, court records show. In one of those cases on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino made a point to find Isihara in civil contempt, apparently frustrated — like Blackwell — by a basic failure of the government to comply with a court order.

Provinzino, a Joe Biden appointee, had ordered nine days earlier that an “unlawfully detained” Mexican man living in Minnesota “since 2018 with his lawful permanent resident spouse” be released from ICE custody in Texas and returned. But when ICE let Rigoberto Soto Jimenez out of an El Paso facility, he didn’t have his “identification documents” and he wasn’t returned to Minnesota. And he evidently still doesn’t have his Minnesota driver’s license or his Mexican Consulate ID.

According to local Fox affiliate KMSP, Isihara, a judge advocate general in the Defense Department, told the judge he was sorry this fell “through the cracks,” pointed to U.S. Attorney’s Office turmoil, and explained he’s had around 130 cases to deal with so far.

CONTEMPT FINDING: Matthew Isihara apologized for allowing the order in this habeas case to “fall through the cracks.” Blamed situation on case overload & significant understaffing in US Attorney’s office. Says he has picked up nearly 130 habeas cases in just last month. @FOX9

— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) February 18, 2026

Provinzino, for her part, called Isihara on the carpet after a hearing to show cause, warning of a daily $500 “coercive fine” until he can file a document confirming compliance.

“SAUSA Matthew Isihara is found in civil contempt of court. Beginning 2/20/2026, SAUSA Isihara is ordered to pay $500 for each day Petitioner is not in possession of his identification documents,” a minute order said.

Before she was a judge, Provinzino worked as a prosecutor at the same office Isihara is assisting.