CNN 5 Things One Thing: 'This Job Sucks’: Prosecuting Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Feb 15, 2026
Doug Kelley, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney from Minnesota with frontline federal prosecution experience, reflects on the fallout from a major immigration enforcement surge. He discusses courts flooded with habeas petitions. He describes why prosecutors resigned and how infrastructure and staffing failed to match enforcement. He examines political pressure narrowing recruitment and concerns about weaponized prosecutions.
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Mass Habeas Surge Overwhelmed Courts
- The surge produced eight years' worth of habeas corpus petitions in about two months, overwhelming prosecutors and courts.
- Doug Kelley says this sudden glut created an unprecedented legal choke point that local resources couldn't absorb.
Two Parallel Backlogs Strained Staff
- The office faced parallel backlogs: detainees' habeas claims and ICE agents' assault complaints against protesters.
- Kelley links the combined caseload and policy shifts to the resignations of six prosecutors on January 13th.
Attorney Julie Le's Frustrated Court Exchange
- ICE attorney Julie Le told a judge, “This job sucks,” and said she was trying every breath to comply with orders.
- Kelley recounts she volunteered from immigration practice and immediately inherited about 90 cases in her first month.