The detainee whose case has triggered the summoning of ICE Director Todd Lyons to court is Ecuadorian man Juan Hugo Tobay Robles, according to BBC's official US partner CBS News.

According to Judge Patrick Schiltz's order, Robles came to the US illegally in 1999 as a minor.

Court filings show he was detained on 6 January and placed in ICE custody at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He challenged the lawfulness of his detention two days later.

Robles' lawyers informed the court on Friday that his client had not received a bond hearing and was still in immigration custody - this is in breach of the seven-day timeframe laid down in the initial court order.

Judge Patrick Schiltz says that Lyons would not be required to appear in court if Robles' lawyers and the administration file papers indicating he has been released from custody.

Image source, DANIEL HUER/AFP via Getty Images

FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency has opened an investigation into the Signal group text chats that Minnesota residents are using to co-ordinate their protests against ICE.

Residents have allegedly relied on the encrypted messaging app to share agents' license plate numbers and locations, before mobilising to monitor or protest ICE agents' activities.

In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Patel says he wants to know whether that type of activity has been putting federal agents "in harm’s way".

"You cannot create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm’s way," he said in the interview.

Image source, Getty Images

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is calling for the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be fired, amid growing backlash on Capitol Hill over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

On social media platform Bluesky, Fetterman says he is making "a direct appeal to immediately fire" Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Noem's agency oversees ICE and Border Patrol.

"Americans have died," he adds. This follows the fatal shooting of Pretti, the second US citizen shot dead by federal officers in Minneapolis this month - the other being 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

For context:

Noem is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on 3 March over her handling of the case in which federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed Pretti.

The homeland security secretary claims Pretti approached Border Patrol officers with a "semi-automatic handgun" and "reacted violently", but videos examined by BBC Verify show Pretti was holding a phone as he filmed agents, and he was visibly not holding a gun.

After his death, Noem immediately defended federal agents and called Pretti a "domestic terrorist".

Image source, Getty Images

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has made thousands of arrests since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, often in public places.

What is ICE?

ICE is taking the lead in carrying out the Trump administration's mass deportation initiative, which was a central promise of Donald Trump's election campaign. The agency enforces immigration laws and conducts investigations into undocumented immigration. It also plays a role in removing undocumented immigrants from the US.

ICE was formed as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, a response to the terror attacks on 11 September 2001. The legislation created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with ICE as one of its subsidiary agencies.

The US president has significantly expanded ICE, its budget and its mission since returning to the White House.

What powers do ICE agents have?

ICE sees its mission as encompassing both public safety and national security. However, its powers are different to those of the average local police department in the US.

Its agents can stop, detain and arrest people they suspect of being in the US illegally. However legal permission to enter a home or other private space requires a signed judicial warrant.

Agents can detain US citizens in limited circumstances, such as if a person interferes with an arrest, assaults an officer, or ICE suspect the person of being in the US illegally.

• Read more on what ICE is and what powers agents have in our explainer

Image source, Getty Images

Police say they arrested several people during protests outside a hotel where Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was believed to be staying last night.

As a reminder, Bovino and some immigration agents are leaving Minneapolis today following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, making way for Trump's border tsar Tom Homan to take over on-the-ground operations.

Footage and images from the protest - at a hotel north-west of Minneapolis - show crowds banging makeshift drums and holding placards saying "abolish ICE".

In a published statement, the Maple Grove Police Department alleged officers ordered the crowd to disperse after property was damaged and objects were thrown at officers.

"Those who failed to comply with lawful orders or committed crimes were arrested," the statement said. "Several individuals were taken into custody."

Image source, Getty Images

We've been hearing from Donald Trump on the situation in Minneapolis for the first time today.

Speaking on US radio show Sid & Friends in the Morning, Trump says his two calls with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz were "great" and "very respectful".

"What we need is their criminals. They have criminals, and all I said is, 'just give us your criminals'. If they give us their criminals it all goes away."

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Senators return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday looking to resolve disagreements over funding for the Department of Homeland Security in order to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The funding package needs to be passed by Friday, but Democrats have said they would not vote in favour, after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by DHS federal agents in Minnesota earlier this month.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X: "The DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no."

"Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included," he continued in a post shared on Saturday.

Backlash from the Minneapolis shooting has also grown to include Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

"Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and, most importantly, protect the American people,” he wrote on X.

Image source, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Todd Lyons was appointed acting director of ICE by Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, in March of 2025.

In her announcement, Noem described Lyons, who began his federal service career with the Air Force in 1993, as a "workhorse" who would help lead the agency's mandate to carry out arrests and deportations.

During a July interview with CBS - the BBC's US media partner - Lyons said he was focused on boosting recruitment, and that a federal cash injection was making a million deportations a year possible.

During the interview he described ICE as primarily a law enforcement body with public safety as a central focus.

He has now raised the ire of District of Minnesota Court Judge Patrick Shiltz over the alleged failure of the agency to provide a bond hearing for an immigration detainee.

The court is now ordering Lyons to personally appear "and show cause why he should not be held in contempt" over the alleged failure.

Image source, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

First Lady Melania Trump is "calling for unity" as tensions over an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis continue.

Appearing on Fox & Friends earlier today, she says: "I know my husband, the president, had a great call yesterday with the governor and the mayor, they are working together to make it peaceful and without riots."

District Judge Patrick Shiltz has ordered Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear in court to explain why his agency has failed to hold a bond hearing for an immigration detainee in the court-ordered timeframe.

Here's a closer look:

The District of Minnesota Court outlines that an immigrant detainee was granted a petition order on 14 January.

They say the detainee should have been provided a bond hearing within seven days. If this hearing fails to materialise within the allotted time, the court says, then the petitioner "must be immediately released from detention".

In this case, the court adds they were notified on 23 January that the detainee had not received a bond hearing and remains detained.

"This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply in recent weeks," the court document reads.

The court adds they have been "extremely patient, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result".

The judge writes that respondents have "continually assured" them that they recognise their obligations but, they add, violations continue: "The court's patience is at an end."

The court document reads: "Accordingly, the Court will order Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court.

Image source, Getty Images

There's been a shift in Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday escalated tensions.

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and some immigration agents are leaving on Tuesday, as Trump's border tsar Tom Homan is set to begin leading on-the-ground efforts.

Bovino was the face of the operation when Pretti - an observer seen filming agents - became involved in a confrontation that ended in Pretti being shot numerous times.

The commander claimed that Pretti intended to "massacre" federal agents - a statement that angered many protesters on the streets.

Videos examined by BBC Verify show Pretti was holding a phone as he filmed agents, and he was visibly not holding a gun in his hands.

Homan, who will report directly to Trump, supports the aggressive immigration enforcement pushed by the US president. But he also has longer-term experience in the role, having worked with immigration and deportations during the Democratic presidency of Barack Obama.

Image source, Reuters

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the US state of Minnesota.

Today, District Judge Patrick Schiltz has ordered the acting ICE director to appear in court on Friday.

Schiltz says Todd Lyons must explain why his agency has failed to hold a bond hearing for an immigration detainee in the court-ordered timeframe.

Schiltz says "the court's patience is at an end" as he takes the self-described "extraordinary" measure of summoning the acting head of ICE to court.

He demanded that acting ICE director Todd Lyons appear in court after "lesser measures have been tried and failed", according to a court filing on Monday.

"The Court’s patience is at an end. Accordingly, the Court will order Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court," Schiltz wrote in his order.

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
US reporter

The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday and its aftermath have rocked Minnesota. Pretti, a US citizen who was an intensive care nurse, was shot by a Border Patrol agent during an altercation when agents tried to restrain him.

Senior Trump administration officials described Pretti, who had a firearm on his person that day, as a "would-be assassin" and "domestic terrorist", labels that have been rejected by Minnesota officials and his family.

But on Monday, the White House appeared to be shifting course with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterating Trump's commitment to a full investigation. The administration is also dispatching Tom Homan, its "border tsar", to the state, where he is set to meet with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz - both of whom spoke with Trump on Monday.

Perhaps the biggest sign of a retreat has come in the form of the administration's withdrawal from Minneapolis of some Border Patrol agents and their commander, Gregory Bovino, who claimed Pretti wanted to "massacre" federal officers.

Amid the political fallout, Republicans nationwide have been critical of the administration's handling of Pretti's killing. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been called to testify before a Senate committee in March.

A leading Republican candidate in the Minnesota governor's race also dropped out, harshly criticizing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy in the state.

We are now pausing our live coverage, but you can read more of our on-the-ground reporting here: Trump abandons attack mode as Minneapolis shooting backlash grows

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

The Trump administration says that Operation Metro Surge has been the largest immigration mission yet, involving thousands of federal officers and agents.

But we've had a hard time pinning down exactly how many people were deployed to the Minneapolis region. We have a solid answer now.

In a court filing today, the Trump administration said 3,000 officers and agents with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Customs and Border Patrol were deployed as part of this mission.

The response is a result of a lawsuit brought by the state of Minnesota and local officials, seeking to stop Operation Metro Surge. A judge presided over a three-hour hearing on the case today.

You can read more about today's hearing here.

Utah Republican Senator John Curtis has issued a statement, calling for a "transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting".

"Those responsible—no matter their title—must be held accountable," he says.

"Officials who rush to judgment before all the facts are known undermine public trust and the law-enforcement mission," he says, going on to criticise the leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"I disagree with Secretary Noem’s premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence," he says.

He adds that he plans to work "with a bipartisan group of senators to demand real oversight and transparency, including supporting calls from Rand Paul for leaders of these operations to testify, so trust can be restored and justice served."

Image source, Getty Images

NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns has spoken out about the recent shootings in Minneapolis. The player for the New York Knicks previously played for nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"What is happening in the Twin Cities and the Great North Star State is heartbreaking to witness," he said in a short statement posted on social media.

"These events have cost lives and shaken families — and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people. This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are."

He adds that he send condolences to the families of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and closes with the message: "I stand with the people of Minnesota."

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent

Notwithstanding some sharp words from the press secretary, there are some signs that the White House is starting to see significant political downsides in the situation unfolding in Minneapolis.

Despite combative rhetoric from some of his key officials on Sunday, the president has taken a noticeably more cautious and even conciliatory line.

In social media posts and one newspaper interview, he declined to attack Pretti, who was beaten, shot and killed; and also refrained from endorsing the actions of the agents involved.

While the administration continues to attack local Democrats over alleged fraud in Minnesota, there are signs that some border agents, engaged in immigration round-ups there, could be withdrawn.

Democratic Governor Tim Walz, often a target of sustained criticisms and insults from the White House, has also held a telephone call with the president, which both sides have indicated was fruitful.

Kristina Volk
Reporting from Saint Paul, Minnesota

We came to the Roots Cafe in Saint Paul - one of the so-called Twin Cities along with Minneapolis - to escape from the freezing temperatures.

What we found when we entered was a dozen or so community members committed to helping their community feel safe from the ongoing federal operation being carried out by ICE.

The front door of the café has a letter plastered on its door - similar to ones we've seen across the city - that read "No Entry without Warrant".

The Roots Cafe not only serves coffee and pastries but distributes information, in English and Spanish, on how to behave if residents should encounter federal agents. They also collect donations of goods for neighbours who are too afraid to leave their homes.

Over the course of an hour we spent here we witnessed a constant stream of people dropping off bags with sanitary products and household goods and others repacking and wheeling them out for delivery.

The pantry was set up just a little over a week ago George Cordero, who runs the donation drop, tells me.

It was created in the wake of an ICE raid down the street ended with his friends getting teargassed. He says the community has an "eagerness to help" and within two hours of asking for donations their space had filled up, and they are "still sorting through the chaos".

Coredero says as a lot of people here are too afraid to leave home, so delivering the essentials to them "is a small part where they don't have to worry about".

The mistrust and insecurity are visible throughout the neighbourhood and Cordero says he is making sure no one is alone out there.

When I meet him, his mum is with him in the pantry after he picked her up from work to ensure she does not move around on her own.

She says she worries about her son as "he is the same age as Alex Pretti and he also protects people". Coredero describes the twin cities ordinarily as a peaceful place. Now the community is adapting to the presence of federal agents.

"We weren't trained for this, but we are doing the best we can."

Image source, Reuters

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey has confirmed his call with President Trump and that he will meet with border tsar Tom Homan on Tuesday to "discuss next steps".

Frey, a Democrat, says he told Trump about the positive contributions of immigrants to the city and that the president had "agreed the present situation can’t continue".

Earlier, we reported that the administration was withdrawing some federal immigration enforcement officials. Frey says he will "continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go."

In previous online statements, Trump has demanded that Minnesota officials cooperate with federal officers.

Frey says, "Minneapolis will continue to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement on real criminal investigations — but we will not participate in unconstitutional arrests of our neighbors or enforce federal immigration law."

"Violent criminals should be held accountable based on the crimes they commit, not based on where they are from," he adds.