St. Paul, Minnesota - A top federal attorney representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota courts has stepped down from his role.

According to The New York Times, emails sent to the government account of Jim Stolley, the outgoing chief counsel for ICE in Minnesota, now receive an automated response that reads, "retired from public service."

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Stolley had retired this week, noting that he had worked for the agency for 31 years.

His resignation comes as President Donald Trump has deployed thousands of federal agents to execute immigration sweeps across Minnesota.

The agents' presence has resulted in the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis residents last month, sparking massive protests.

The occupation has also generated tons of litigation in both immigration courts and the main federal court system, and federal government attorneys have failed to respond in a timely manner.

US District Judge Jerry Blackwell argued in a ruling last month that ICE had "likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence."

During a hearing earlier this week, ICE attorney Julie Le told Judge Blackwell that she is overwhelmed with her workload, further adding, "The system sucks. This job sucks." DHS responded by quickly removing her from the role.