Rigoberto Soto Jimenez released without documents despite court order, DOJ attorney held in contempt
Feb 19, 2026·Location: Minnesota
Country of origin: Mexico

Rigoberto Soto Jimenez, a Mexican immigrant, was ordered released by a federal judge in Minnesota but ICE released him in Texas without his driver's license, work permit, or Mexican consular ID card. The Department of Justice failed to comply with the court's February 9 order to return his belongings by the February 17 deadline. At a February 18 show cause hearing, U.S. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isihara was found in civil contempt of court, and Judge Laura M. Provinzino ordered him to pay $500 daily fines beginning February 20 until the documents were returned. On February 19, the DOJ returned Soto Jimenez's documents via overnight delivery, and the judge dismissed the contempt order without imposing fines.
Timeline
Sources
- ICE took their papers—and won’t give them back
- Attorneys raise concerns over ICE confiscating detainees' IDs, personal documents
nbcchicago.com·Feb 17, 2026·archived copy
- ice.gov
- mitchellhamline.edu
- Contempt order dismissed after DOJ returns belongings to man released from ICE custody
KSTP·Feb 21, 2026·archived copy
- CourtListener
- CourtListener
- Soto Jimenez v. Bondi - Habeas Dockets
More incidents in Minnesota
- Venezuelan man shot through door by ICE agent during raid; agent later chargedOct 4, 2026 · Minneapolis, MN
- Guatemalan man re-detained by ICE moments after judge ordered his releaseOct 1, 2026 · Fort Snelling, MN
- ICU nurse and U.S. citizen Alex Pretti shot 10 times by federal agents in MinneapolisSep 30, 2026 · Minneapolis, MN
- Minneapolis mother and legal observer fatally shot by ICE agent during enforcement operationSep 30, 2026 · Minneapolis, MN
- St. Paul man held at Guantánamo, allegedly beaten, deported to Somalia after mother's deathSep 25, 2026 · St. Paul, MN
- Mexican man re-arrested by plainclothes agents seconds after court-ordered releaseSep 25, 2026 · Fort Snelling, MN