Judge Slaps $500 Fine on DOJ Attorney After Unlawfully Detaining Immigrant
A federal judge has forced a Justice Department attorney to pay a $500 daily fine after holding him in contempt of court.
The judge’s decision is related to the detention of an illegal immigrant named Rigoberto Soto Jimenez.
From Fox News:
A Justice Department attorney has been ordered to pay a $500 daily fine after a federal judge found him in civil contempt of court.
On Wednesday, Judge Laura Provinzino, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, found Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isihara in civil contempt, hitting him with a daily fine.
The judge reportedly said that her goal was to ensure the government complies with her orders regarding Rigoberto Soto Jimenez, a detained Mexican immigrant living in Big Lake, Minn., KMSP-TV reported.
Soto Jimenez has reportedly lived in the U.S. since 2018 and has no criminal history or final orders of removal, according to KMSP-TV. Additionally, the outlet noted that Soto Jimenez’s attorney stated that he is “years into the process of obtaining lawful immigration status.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Jimenez, a Mexican national, at his workplace in Minnesota in January.
JUST IN: Judge Provinzino in Minnesota has held a Justice Department attorney in civil contempt for violations of her order requiring the return of a released ICE detainee’s ID documents. He must pay $500 a day until the documents are returned. pic.twitter.com/xb3cB8C5w8
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 18, 2026
After his arrest, the authorities transferred him to a facility in El Paso, Texas. He was held without a bond hearing, according to Fox 9. When Jimenez’s attorneys challenged his detention in federal court, the government was unable to produce a proper warrant to justify keeping him behind bars.
Jimenez lived in Minnesota since 2018 with his wife, who is a permanent resident. He had no criminal record or prior order of removal. His attorney claimed he was already “years into the process of obtaining lawful immigration status.”
Biden appointed judge causes more issues. WHEN DOES THIS END WITH THE DEMOCRATS. WHEN DO THE PEOPLE TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY FROM THESE PEOPLE. WHEN?
Federal judge holds DOJ attorney in contempt over ICE case https://t.co/1i6jTq8oxu #FoxNews— SH (@hamptonsa60) February 19, 2026
Judge Provinzino ruled on February 9 that Jimenez’s detention was unlawful because ICE did not furnish an administrative warrant to detain him. She noted that the Justice Department failed to meet the deadline to respond to his habeas petition. The judge ordered his release by February 13 “without imposing any conditions of release” in Minnesota.
However, while ICE met the deadline, they released Jimenez in Texas instead of Minnesota. They also refused to return his driver’s license or Mexican consular ID, Fox News Digital reported. Provinzino found that ICE failed to comply with her instructions, which is why she held Isihara in civil contempt. He will have to pay $500 per day until ICE returns his identification.
This is the right move, regardless of where one stands on immigration. ICE has been targeting immigrants and even US citizens without bothering to obtain judicial warrants. Instead, they rely on “administrative” warrants issued by the agency itself to justify its operations.
But what truly doesn’t make sense about this story is the fact that they detained Jimenez and then released him in Texas. Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply transfer him back to Minnesota and return his documentation? Why did it take a contempt order to force them to do what they were supposed to do?
This is likely one of many cases in which ICE and other federal authorities abuse their positions — even when it is easy to do the right thing. It’s not clear whether ICE has yet returned Jimenez’s documentation. But I doubt Isihara wants to continue paying $500 per day over this nonsense.