DOJ Speedran Contempt of Court and Called It a Paperwork Oopsie

The U.S. Department of Justice just admitted it violated dozens of federal court orders in New Jersey immigration cases like it was late on rent and the judge was “being weird about it.”

Not “we disagree with the ruling.” Not “we’re appealing.” Just straight-up: yeah… we didn’t do the thing the court explicitly told us to do. Repeatedly. In writing. With dates.

This is in the Newark immigration court pipeline, where cases are stacking up like wet cardboard in a hurricane. People are showing up for hearings without proper notice, filings are missing, deadlines are getting vaporized, and judges are staring at DOJ lawyers like: are you incompetent, or are you auditioning for a lawless little side quest?

DOJ’s vibe is basically “the system is overwhelmed.”

The government says it’s dealing with an immigration surge and administrative chaos, and to be fair, the whole machine is held together with duct tape, expired toner, and the spiritual energy of underpaid clerks.

And here’s the part that should make your skin crawl: due process isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the thing that stops the government from ruining your life because somebody lost a folder or didn’t feel like following instructions.

If they can “accidentally” ignore judges when the defendant is an immigrant with no money and no platform, what do you think happens when it’s you, your job, your taxes, or your kid’s paperwork caught in the same meat grinder?