# Minnesota federal judges judicial controversy > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/minnesota-federal-judges-judicial-controversy > Updated: 2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z. Sources: 33. Developments: 3. Seven federal judges from the District of Minnesota, including Republican-appointed Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, expressed concerns regarding the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. In an interview with The New York Times, Judge Schiltz described the administration’s actions as a “grave threat to the rule of law,” citing a disregard for court orders. Judge Nancy E. Brasel emphasized the necessity of protecting judicial independence, stating, “Due process is not a game of keep-away.” Following these public comments, the Article III Project filed formal judicial misconduct complaints against Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim, alleging their statements may violate the Code of Conduct for United States Judges by calling into question their impartiality. In a significant escalation, the U.S. Department of Justice has now filed a judicial misconduct complaint against nearly all active federal district judges in Minnesota with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the judges' media remarks as “openly political” and an “egregious” violation of ethical duties, alleging they demonstrated an “obvious bias” against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DOJ is requesting the appointment of a special committee to investigate the conduct and is demanding that the judges recuse themselves from all current and future cases involving the DHS. Judge Schiltz has defended his actions, stating he was “acting well within the ethical rules” that allow judges to advocate for judicial independence and the rule of law. He previously accused the government of failing to comply with nearly 100 court orders during the immigration crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge. A spokesperson for the Minnesota federal court system noted that legal experts found the judges' conduct to be within ethical guidelines. ## Claims - The Department of Justice filed a judicial misconduct complaint against federal judges in Minnesota. (corroborated by 24 sources) - Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the filing of the complaint. (corroborated by 24 sources) - The DOJ is demanding that the judges recuse themselves from all cases involving the Department of Homeland Security. (corroborated by 24 sources) - The DOJ alleges the judges' comments to the media were partisan and showed bias against the Department of Homeland Security. (corroborated by 24 sources) - The complaint was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. (corroborated by 21 sources) - Judge Patrick Schiltz stated he was acting within ethical rules when speaking to the media. (corroborated by 21 sources) - The misconduct complaint targets all but one active federal district judge in Minnesota. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The DOJ has requested the appointment of a special committee to investigate the judges' conduct. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-30: Minnesota federal judges face DOJ misconduct complaint The DOJ has filed a misconduct complaint against nearly all federal judges in Minnesota, alleging partisan bias following their media comments about an immigration enforcement surge. 28 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/department-of-justice-files-misconduct-complaints-against-minnesota-federal-judges ### 2026-09-19: Minnesota federal judges face judicial misconduct complaints Two Minnesota federal judges, Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim, face formal misconduct complaints alleging they conspired to undermine presidential immigration enforcement. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minnesota-federal-judges-face-judicial-misconduct-complaints ### 2026-09-17: Minnesota federal judges warn of threat to rule of law Seven federal judges in Minnesota, including Republican appointee Patrick J. Schiltz, warned that the Justice Department’s disregard for court orders poses a “grave threat to the rule of law.” 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minnesota-federal-judges-warn-of-threat-to-rule-of-law --- Cite as: Minnesota federal judges judicial controversy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/minnesota-federal-judges-judicial-controversy