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Matt Sepic

@msepic.bsky.social

Minneapolis-based reporter for MPR News

1,175 Followers  |  799 Following  |  157 Posts  |  Joined: 18.11.2024
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Posts by Matt Sepic (@msepic.bsky.social)

Later, from the lectern, Rosen tells Bryan: "Contempt is far beyond anything that can be considered here today.” Judge concludes hearing, takes issue of contempt under advisement, so no finding of contempt against Rosen and civil chief Fuller issued today.

03.03.2026 23:56 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

In remarkable move, Bryan calls U.S. Atty Rosen to the witness box and puts him under oath: "It is the culture of our office that when an order comes down from a court, that you convey that to their client, that you convey their obligation to comply," Rosen said.

03.03.2026 23:54 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Rich: "No. It’s in our code of ethics. Multiple people are working together when we process each alien."

Judge Bryan: "I understand that the statute uses that term. But we’re not talking about space aliens. We’re talking about people."

03.03.2026 21:01 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Tauria Rich - St. Paul ICE deputy field director sworn in & answering questions from Judge Bryan. Bryan: "Can ICE or ERO just take property from detained people? Put it in their pocket and go home? Steal it?"

03.03.2026 21:01 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Things have calmed down considerably after lunch break in contempt hearing. Judge Bryan removes all but 5 habeas cases from the list after U.S. Atty Rosen confirms that belongings have been returned or there are no other outstanding problems.

03.03.2026 20:03 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Before lunch break, Minnesota U.S. Atty Dan Rosen and petitioners' attorneys stipulate that 11 former detainees' belongings have been returned. These cases are removed from the contempt hearing but others remain for the afternoon.

03.03.2026 18:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

ROSEN: The government is making "extraordinary efforts to comply with court orders." Judge calls brief recess.

03.03.2026 17:09 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Petitioner's counsel Sly Onyia: "If civil contempt is not issued, the government is going to continue doing what they’ve been doing." Onyia says ICE is still leaving people stranded without their personal belongings. Many are still missing their IDs, phones, wallets, etc.

03.03.2026 17:04 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Petitioner's counsel Mackenzie Moy: There are instances "in which the government has filed declarations to the court that are patently false. We know what we are seeing and it doesn’t appear to be in good faith.”

03.03.2026 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Rosen: In 26 of 28 cases we've achieved "full performance" of returning belongings. In 2 cases we believe that further diligent search for the items "would be futile." We don’t believe that error on the part of the property custodian is grounds for civil contempt.

03.03.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

JUDGE BRYAN: "Are your clients contesting the fact that they received court orders?
ROSEN: (Interrupting the judge) "Your honor has made a mark smearing me…"
JUDGE: "You can’t talk over me."

Rosen said that DHS received 52 court orders

03.03.2026 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Judge Bryan: "It is my intention this morning to determine whether to hold you (Rosen) in civil contempt or Mr. Fuller (civ div chief) in civil contempt. I have not ruled out criminal contempt. I do not want to hold anyone in contempt today."

03.03.2026 16:36 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The hearing is now underway. Bryan asks Rosen if the court has the power to enforce its orders through civil contempt. Rosen: Generally yes, but in this case no.

03.03.2026 16:33 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

... previously threatened Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons with contempt for failing to release a detainee. Schiltz called off the hearing after ICE released the man. In more recent orders, Schiltz found that DHS had violated more than 200 court orders.

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Bryan, a Biden appointee, is far from the only judge to threaten immigration officials with contempt. Judge Patrick Schiltz – a GW Bush appointee who clerked for the late SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia...

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I found only two joint stipulations where both the gov & petitioners' counsel agreed that all belongings had been returned.

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I reviewed all 28 filings ahead before the courthouse closed Monday evening. One man is still missing his wallet & shoes. DHS says it’s trying to track down another’s social security card. Also missing are driver’s licenses & work permits.

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Judge Bryan’s show cause order is connected to 28 petitions of habeas corpus, which are civil suits that many detainees have filed to challenge their detentions. Minnesota’s federal court system is straining under the load of these. Four out-of-district judges are here to help manage the cases.

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

...for the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to return the belongings of detainees it arrested illegally and later released.

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Two federal judges rebuke Minnesota U.S. Attorney after ICE fails to follow court orders A federal judge in St. Paul ordered Minnesota’s U.S. attorney to court over DHS’s failure to return property to unlawfully detained immigrants, as another judge rebuked his office.

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen is in St. Paul federal court this morning along with his acting civil division chief David Fuller. Judge Jeffery Bryan ordered them to appear & explain why they shouldn’t be held in civil or criminal contempt... www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

03.03.2026 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Thanks! That's one number that's tricky to pin down. I've primarily been covering court cases, but I haven't heard anything there related to numbers.

06.02.2026 23:28 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Can I get this on a T-shirt?

26.01.2026 02:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Anger, Protests and Questions Follow ICE Shooting | KQED We talk about the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis and what it might mean for Trump's immigration agenda and the future of ICE.

πŸŽ™οΈON AIR:

We're talking to journalists @nickmiroff.bsky.social and @msepic.bsky.social and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins about what the fatal shooting of Renee Good might mean for the future of ICE.

❓What questions do you have about the president's immigration agenda?

πŸ“» Listen:

12.01.2026 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
β€˜ICE is in my car!’ 911 transcripts reveal dueling β€˜kidnapping’ claims Newly-released 911 transcripts reveal dueling allegations of kidnapping by Homeland Security Investigations agents and a Nigerian man whom they tried to question about his immigration status. Oluwadam...

Newly-released 911 transcripts reveal dueling allegations of kidnapping by Homeland Security Investigations agents and Oluwadamilola Bamigboye, a Nigerian man whom they tried to question about overstaying his student visa.

20.12.2025 02:02 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
Post image Post image Post image

Photos from St. Paul today captured by MPR photojournalist Kerem YΓΌcel. He filed them even after being hospitalized after being injured by a less lethal munition.

26.11.2025 03:30 β€” πŸ‘ 784    πŸ” 411    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 32
Preview
Feds seek 30-year prison term for 'early mover' in Feeding Our Future scam Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year prison term for a defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud case. The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office says Abdiaziz Farah was key in a conspiracy to fleece taxpayer-...

Judge Nancy Brasel sentences "early mover" in #FeedingOurFuture meal fraud scam to 28 years in federal prison. Brasel: β€œI cannot think of any reason for the behavior other than pure unmitigated greed.” Previous story: www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

06.08.2025 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Four dozen guns, 5 body bags and a second police vehicle found in search of Boelter property Judges Friday unsealed a number of search warrants from the investigation into Vance Boelter. Boelter is suspected of killing former DFL Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, a...

More details of the investigation into the killings of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark are outlined in several search warrants unsealed today. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

21.06.2025 01:40 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
Former Minnesota ISIS member granted early release after helping terrorism investigators A federal judge in Minneapolis cut the sentence short of a Twin Cities man who joined the Islamic State group a decade ago. Abdelhamid Al-Madioum left prison Tuesday after providing extensive help to ...

Abdelhamid Al-Madioum is out of federal prison after a decade-long saga that began with him joining ISIS at age 18 and continues today as he helps terrorism investigators.

www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

18.06.2025 00:47 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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From House Speaker Lisa Demuth:

16.06.2025 02:39 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

MPR News confirms that Vance Boelter, the suspected killer of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark - is in custody. Details to come.

16.06.2025 02:31 β€” πŸ‘ 551    πŸ” 89    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 5