Federal prosecutor unhappy with Minnesota ICE cases fired after 'this job sucks' comment
An attorney representing the U.S. Department of Justice was fired after complaining that it was difficult to get the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the DOJ to follow court orders. (Image from Shutterstock)
A federal prosecutor assigned to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cases in Minnesota has been fired from U.S. attorney’s office in the state after telling a judge that her "job sucks” and asked to be held in contempt, so that she “could get 24 hours of sleep,” according to news reports.
Julie Le, a Department of Homeland Security attorney, had been detailed to the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Minnesota. But an official familiar with the matter told NBC News early Wednesday that Le’s detail was now over in the wake of the comments.
Le, who according to an NBC News review of court records picked up 88 cases in less than a month, expressed frustration at her job during an immigration hearing Tuesday in Minneapolis, where the Trump administration is carrying out a sweeping immigration enforcement operation.
“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 reporting by Lou Raguse of NBC affiliate KARE.
Raguse, who was in the courtroom, reported that Le said it was like “pulling teeth” to get the DHS, ICE and the DOJ to follow court orders. The DHS, which oversees ICE, and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Le could also not be reached for comment.
On Wednesday afternoon, the New York Times reported that Le was fired.
Bloomberg Law and Minnesota Public Radio also have coverage.
Updated Feb. 4 at 3:17 p.m. to rewrite the headline and to report that Julie Le has been fired.
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