Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche reacts during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 30, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
A federal judge held a lawyer from President Donald Trump's Department of Justice in contempt on Wednesday for failing to return a detainee's identification paperwork after the detainee was released from immigration custody, according to a report.
Judge Laura Provinzino of the District Court of Minnesota held Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Isihara in civil contempt for failing to return the documents. Beginning on Friday, Isihara will be responsible for paying a $500 for every day the plaintiff is not in receipt of his ID documents, according to the order.
Politico's Kyle Cheney was the first to report Provinzino's order.
The order was issued at a time when the Trump administration is facing considerable scrutiny for its disregard of court orders. Federal courts have ruled that immigration officers like former Customs and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino are untruthful, and the administration has clashed with several judges who have tried to stop their deportation operations.
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