WASHINGTON — A government lawyer who told a judge that her job “sucks” during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Julie Le had been working for the Justice Department on a detail, but the U.S. attorney in Minnesota ended her assignment after her comments in court on Tuesday, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She had been working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before the temporary assignment.
At a hearing Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., for several immigration cases, Le told U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell that she wishes he could hold her in contempt of court “so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep.”
“What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need,” Le said, according to a transcript.
Le’s extraordinary remarks reflect the intense strain that has been placed on the federal court system since President Trump returned to the White House a year ago with a promise to carry out mass deportations. ICE officials have said the surge in Minnesota has become its largest-ever immigration operation since ramping up in early January.
Several prosecutors have left the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota amid frustration with the immigration enforcement surge and the Justice Department’s response to fatal shootings of two civilians by federal agents. Le was assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, according to online court records.
Blackwell told Le that the volume of cases isn’t an excuse for disregarding court orders. He expressed concern that people arrested in immigration enforcement operations are routinely jailed for days after judges have ordered their release from custody.
“And I hear the concerns about all the energy that this is causing the DOJ to expend, but, with respect, some of it is of your own making by not complying with orders,” the judge told Le.
Le said she was working for the Department of Homeland Security as an ICE attorney in immigration court before she “stupidly” volunteered to work the detail in Minnesota. Le told the judge that she wasn’t properly trained for the assignment. She said she wanted to resign from the job but couldn’t get a replacement.
“Fixing a system, a broken system, I don’t have a magic button to do it. I don’t have the power or the voice to do it,” she said.
Le and spokespeople for DHS, ICE and the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Kira Kelley, an attorney who represented two petitioners at the hearing, said the flood of immigration petitions is necessary because of “so many people being detained without any semblance of a lawful basis.”
“And there’s no indication here that any new systems or bolded e-mails or any instructions to ICE are going to fix any of this,” she added.
Kunzelman and Richer write for the Associated Press.
ANGIE Best has given her fans the latest update from her hospital bed as she fights colon cancer.
Posting from her hospital bed in Switzerland, Angie revealed she would be starting her second round of chemotherapy in the coming days.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Angie Best updated fans about her colon cancer treatmentCredit: instagramAngie was married to footballer George BestCredit: PA:Press AssociationAngie said she was feeling unwell and struggling to copeCredit: instagram
Angie, who was the first wife of footballer George Best and is mum to TV personality Calum Best, seemed upbeat in her Instagram video despite telling her followers, “I can’t function.”
She captioned the video: “All together now, 🎼 just one cornetto…yes they want me to eat sugar ffs 🤦♀️ I have to start second round of chemo on Tuesday 😬.”
In the video she showed her nurse waving to the camera and then spoke directly to her fans.
“So I’m back at my favourite place with my favourite nurse, isn’t she just a darling – and she speaks English but she’s Swiss,” Angie explained.
“I’ve got to gain weight so they’ve got me drinking these awful things [Angie held up a calorie shake]. I can’t find a jelly baby bloody anywhere and the only ice cream in Switzerland is a Cornetto for heaven’s sake.”
Angie then pleaded for help: “Advice needed: I know a lot of you have been through this, but I can’t function, I can’t lift my head up, I can’t brush my teeth, I can’t eat. It’s terrible.”
She coughed as she concluded: “Any advice there, homies?”
Angie also wrote under the clip: “Apparently feeling like this is normal. Nothing normal about it ffs. If you’re suffering right now, we’re here for each other.”
Many rushed to wish her warm wishes, including her son Calum.
“I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way and going through this, it will pass and we come out even better I love you,” he wrote.
Another person added: “You are doing just great Angie , keep up the good work.”
And a third commented: “Well I think you look beautiful as always, have the cornetto, keep fighting and stay strong, sending you lots of love.”
“YES AUNTIE!!!!! Eat eat eat and you always look beautiful,” Sam wrote.
Earlier this month, Calum, 44,took to Instagram to plead for support from his mum who is struggling to afford her treatment, and to tell her fans that her cancer has spread to her liver.
“It doesn’t care where you’re from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it’s here – and it’s with my mum,” he said.
Calum said he has set up a GoFundMe page for financial support.
Angie met George Best at a dinner party in LA in 1975 when he was signing to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs, and it was “love at first sight”.
They moved to London in 1976.
When she returned to Los Angeles, George followed her and persuaded her to marry him.
They wed on 24 January 1976 and went on to have son Calum in 1981.
The couple separated the following year and divorced in 1986, following George’s problems with alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
Angie’s son Calum, set up a GoFundMe to help pay her medical billsCredit: Alamy
One in five tourists have confronted others for ruining their holiday photos at crowded landmarks like Time Square and Eiffel Tower
Crowded hotspots like Times Square can make it difficult to get a good photo(Image: Getty Images)
Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, and the Trevi Fountain have all been dubbed some of the most challenging places to get a good photograph when on holiday, mainly due to the amount of tourists.
A poll of 2,000 adults found that to combat the crowds, a determined 27% admitted to waking up earlier than 6 am to beat the rush at popular tourist spots and secure a crowd-free picture. One in five travellers also admitted they have queued for longer than an hour to get photos in certain spots, with the Taj Mahal in India requiring the longest waiting time.
Other iconic locations cited as near-impossible to photograph without getting other people in were the Mona Lisa, the Colosseum, and even Buckingham Palace. The Great Wall of China and Niagara Falls were also difficult to photograph without getting countless people in the background.
The study discovered 21% ‘hate’ when their shots get ruined by others lurking in the background, while 55% of travellers grumble about the difficulty of manually removing unwanted people from their images.
Still, over four in 10 (42%) said getting the perfect photograph for social media was a top priority when travelling. But as the survey shows, this can often be difficult so a fifth of holidaymakers have returned to revisit major attractions because they failed to good photo originally.
One in five have even told someone off for getting in the way of their photo, with 70% feeling frustrated by the issue.
The research was commissioned by Samsung to highlight the capabilities of their Galaxy AI on the S25 Series.
Annika Bizon, from Samsung, said: “Everyone wants to travel home with a photo that represents their incredible trip to some of the wonders of the world, but capturing the perfect snap can sometimes be near impossible.
“Galaxy AI features like Generative Edit can help time-strapped travellers who would prefer not to have to wake up before 5 am to queue for a photo, with just a speedy tap removing any unwanted guests.”
TOP 10 TOURIST HOTSPOTS HARDEST TO GET A ‘CLEAN’ PHOTO OF:
Times Square – New York City, USA
Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy
The Mona Lisa – Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Buckingham Palace – London, UK
Taj Mahal – Agra, India
The Colosseum – Rome, Italy
Great Wall of China (Badaling section) – Beijing, China
Government lawyer is yanked from immigration detail in Minnesota after telling judge ‘this job sucks’
WASHINGTON — A government lawyer who told a judge that her job “sucks” during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Julie Le had been working for the Justice Department on a detail, but the U.S. attorney in Minnesota ended her assignment after her comments in court on Tuesday, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She had been working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before the temporary assignment.
At a hearing Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., for several immigration cases, Le told U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell that she wishes he could hold her in contempt of court “so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep.”
“What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need,” Le said, according to a transcript.
Le’s extraordinary remarks reflect the intense strain that has been placed on the federal court system since President Trump returned to the White House a year ago with a promise to carry out mass deportations. ICE officials have said the surge in Minnesota has become its largest-ever immigration operation since ramping up in early January.
Several prosecutors have left the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota amid frustration with the immigration enforcement surge and the Justice Department’s response to fatal shootings of two civilians by federal agents. Le was assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, according to online court records.
Blackwell told Le that the volume of cases isn’t an excuse for disregarding court orders. He expressed concern that people arrested in immigration enforcement operations are routinely jailed for days after judges have ordered their release from custody.
“And I hear the concerns about all the energy that this is causing the DOJ to expend, but, with respect, some of it is of your own making by not complying with orders,” the judge told Le.
Le said she was working for the Department of Homeland Security as an ICE attorney in immigration court before she “stupidly” volunteered to work the detail in Minnesota. Le told the judge that she wasn’t properly trained for the assignment. She said she wanted to resign from the job but couldn’t get a replacement.
“Fixing a system, a broken system, I don’t have a magic button to do it. I don’t have the power or the voice to do it,” she said.
Le and spokespeople for DHS, ICE and the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Kira Kelley, an attorney who represented two petitioners at the hearing, said the flood of immigration petitions is necessary because of “so many people being detained without any semblance of a lawful basis.”
“And there’s no indication here that any new systems or bolded e-mails or any instructions to ICE are going to fix any of this,” she added.
Kunzelman and Richer write for the Associated Press.
Source link
Angie Best gives health update amid cancer battle after telling fans ‘I can’t function’
ANGIE Best has given her fans the latest update from her hospital bed as she fights colon cancer.
Posting from her hospital bed in Switzerland, Angie revealed she would be starting her second round of chemotherapy in the coming days.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Angie, who was the first wife of footballer George Best and is mum to TV personality Calum Best, seemed upbeat in her Instagram video despite telling her followers, “I can’t function.”
She captioned the video: “All together now, 🎼 just one cornetto…yes they want me to eat sugar ffs 🤦♀️ I have to start second round of chemo on Tuesday 😬.”
In the video she showed her nurse waving to the camera and then spoke directly to her fans.
“So I’m back at my favourite place with my favourite nurse, isn’t she just a darling – and she speaks English but she’s Swiss,” Angie explained.
FAMILY UNITED
Sam Womack reveals project she was working on with Angie Best before cancer
ANGIE’S FIGHT
George Best’s 1st wife Angie diagnosed with cancer as son Calum releases video
“I’ve got to gain weight so they’ve got me drinking these awful things [Angie held up a calorie shake]. I can’t find a jelly baby bloody anywhere and the only ice cream in Switzerland is a Cornetto for heaven’s sake.”
Angie then pleaded for help: “Advice needed: I know a lot of you have been through this, but I can’t function, I can’t lift my head up, I can’t brush my teeth, I can’t eat. It’s terrible.”
She coughed as she concluded: “Any advice there, homies?”
Angie also wrote under the clip: “Apparently feeling like this is normal. Nothing normal about it ffs. If you’re suffering right now, we’re here for each other.”
Many rushed to wish her warm wishes, including her son Calum.
“I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way and going through this, it will pass and we come out even better I love you,” he wrote.
Another person added: “You are doing just great Angie , keep up the good work.”
And a third commented: “Well I think you look beautiful as always, have the cornetto, keep fighting and stay strong, sending you lots of love.”
Angie’s EastEnders niece Sam Womack, who herself battled breast cancer in 2022, also shared words of encouragement.
“YES AUNTIE!!!!! Eat eat eat and you always look beautiful,” Sam wrote.
Earlier this month, Calum, 44, took to Instagram to plead for support from his mum who is struggling to afford her treatment, and to tell her fans that her cancer has spread to her liver.
“It doesn’t care where you’re from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it’s here – and it’s with my mum,” he said.
Calum said he has set up a GoFundMe page for financial support.
Angie met George Best at a dinner party in LA in 1975 when he was signing to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs, and it was “love at first sight”.
They moved to London in 1976.
When she returned to Los Angeles, George followed her and persuaded her to marry him.
They wed on 24 January 1976 and went on to have son Calum in 1981.
The couple separated the following year and divorced in 1986, following George’s problems with alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
Source link
Travellers admit telling off fellow tourists for spoiling photos at iconic sites
One in five tourists have confronted others for ruining their holiday photos at crowded landmarks like Time Square and Eiffel Tower
Crowded hotspots like Times Square can make it difficult to get a good photo(Image: Getty Images)
Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, and the Trevi Fountain have all been dubbed some of the most challenging places to get a good photograph when on holiday, mainly due to the amount of tourists.
A poll of 2,000 adults found that to combat the crowds, a determined 27% admitted to waking up earlier than 6 am to beat the rush at popular tourist spots and secure a crowd-free picture. One in five travellers also admitted they have queued for longer than an hour to get photos in certain spots, with the Taj Mahal in India requiring the longest waiting time.
Other iconic locations cited as near-impossible to photograph without getting other people in were the Mona Lisa, the Colosseum, and even Buckingham Palace. The Great Wall of China and Niagara Falls were also difficult to photograph without getting countless people in the background.
The study discovered 21% ‘hate’ when their shots get ruined by others lurking in the background, while 55% of travellers grumble about the difficulty of manually removing unwanted people from their images.
Still, over four in 10 (42%) said getting the perfect photograph for social media was a top priority when travelling. But as the survey shows, this can often be difficult so a fifth of holidaymakers have returned to revisit major attractions because they failed to good photo originally.
One in five have even told someone off for getting in the way of their photo, with 70% feeling frustrated by the issue.
The research was commissioned by Samsung to highlight the capabilities of their Galaxy AI on the S25 Series.
Annika Bizon, from Samsung, said: “Everyone wants to travel home with a photo that represents their incredible trip to some of the wonders of the world, but capturing the perfect snap can sometimes be near impossible.
“Galaxy AI features like Generative Edit can help time-strapped travellers who would prefer not to have to wake up before 5 am to queue for a photo, with just a speedy tap removing any unwanted guests.”
TOP 10 TOURIST HOTSPOTS HARDEST TO GET A ‘CLEAN’ PHOTO OF:
Source link