Justice Department seeks to remove two Minnesota federal judges from cases

The Justice Department filed motions asking U.S. District Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim of Minnesota to step aside from two immigration-related cases, citing their comments in a Sept. 17 New York Times story on the administration's immigration operation in Minnesota. The department had earlier filed ethics complaints against both judges and five others. The judges decide the motions themselves first.

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Why it matters

The motions involve a civil case seeking to revoke a man's U.S. citizenship and a criminal case accusing a legal permanent resident of voting illegally. If the judges decline to step aside, the Justice Department could ask other district judges to rule, according to MPR News.

What to watch

Judge Schiltz has scheduled a hearing on the recusal motion in his case for November, according to FOX 9.

How each side sees it

The Justice Department saysIts motions call the Times story a "partisan critique" of the administration's immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and argue neither judge can be seen as impartial.

The court and defense sayA spokesperson for the U.S. District Court for Minnesota said the judges "were acting well within the ethical rules that apply to federal judges." A defense attorney in one case called the arguments "contrived and baseless."

Sources

Checked against 2 established news sources:

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Published Friday, October 23, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.