Judge orders deal on legal access at Whipple ICE facility

A federal judge has ordered the federal government and immigrant advocates to reach an agreement on how people detained at Minnesota’s Whipple ICE facility will be guaranteed access to attorneys, amid mounting concerns that detainees swept up in Operation Metro Surge can’t meaningfully consult counsel before key hearings. The order, issued in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, comes as hundreds of habeas petitions have challenged ICE’s conduct and as lawyers report clients being moved rapidly out of state, making representation difficult or impossible. The judge signaled that if the parties can’t agree on adequate right‑to‑counsel procedures for Whipple — which houses both ICE detention and immigration court dockets for the Twin Cities — the court is prepared to impose conditions itself. The case adds judicial pressure on DHS and ICE to fix access problems at the south‑metro facility while local officials and civil‑rights groups continue broader litigation over Metro Surge tactics and due‑process violations. Advocates online are calling this a crucial test of whether the system will allow Minnesota detainees a fair chance to fight their cases instead of being "disappeared" through fast‑track removals.