CNN 5 Things One Thing: 'This Job Sucks’: Prosecuting Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Feb 15, 2026
Doug Kelley, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minnesota with seven years of federal prosecution experience, offers a firsthand perspective on how the immigration surge strained local courts and staff. He discusses the winding down of Operation Metro, the flood of habeas filings, mass resignations, judges’ complaints about noncompliance, and politicized recruiting that shifted office priorities.
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Habeas Flood Overwhelms Courts
- The surge produced an enormous habeas corpus backlog equal to eight years of cases in two months.
- Doug Kelley says the court system is overwhelmed and underprepared to process detainee challenges.
Attorney Julie Le's Breaking Point
- Attorney Julie Le told a judge, 'This job sucks' while describing impossible workloads and trying to comply with court orders.
- Kelley recounts she volunteered from immigration practice and immediately picked up about 90 cases in her first month.
Logistics Fail Undermine Rule Of Law
- Noncompliance with court orders left five people detained after judges ordered release, alarming even conservative jurists.
- Kelley warns the rule of law risks erosion when logistical planning doesn't match enforcement actions.