Former Justice Department attorney Julie T. Le is entering the political arena to challenge incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar after a viral court confrontation.
In a dramatic shift from the bench to the ballot box, former Justice Department attorney Julie T. Le has announced plans to run for Congress. This decision follows a high-profile confrontation where she expressed frustration with federal immigration enforcement protocols during a hearing on President Donald Trump’s immigration arrests in Minnesota. Now 47 and a mother of three, Le is preparing to launch her campaign as a Democrat challenging Rep. Ilhan Omar.
The incident occurred during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. Le told the judge she felt powerless to compel U.S. immigration officers to follow judicial orders granting bond hearings or releasing detainees from detention. After Blackwell summoned her and a colleague to explain their situation or face contempt, Le walked out realizing only legislators possessed the power to fix the enforcement system. She stated in an interview that being held in contempt might actually be a break from her crushing workload. The strain was evident; she worked day and night frustrated by colleagues claiming the system was broken. Following the hearing, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the behavior unprofessional, leading Le’s ICE supervisor to fire her within hours. In Minnesota and nationally, immigration officers smashed windows, tossed tear gas, and critics said appeared to arrest people based on skin color. Federal courts were swamped with lawsuits challenging detentions during Trump’s Operation Metro Surge.
Le intends to formally announce her congressional run Saturday in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park. Her top priorities include comprehensive immigration reform with pathways to legal residency and enforcement, expanding financial aid for college, robust funding for arts and music programs at public K-12 schools, and improving access to health care. Regarding her decision to challenge Omar, Le clarified it was not because the incumbent is not doing the job, but rather about what she could bring to the table. She noted that legislators are the only ones who can change or update laws to control the situation. Le said she had considered waiting to run for public office until after her children finished school. One is in college studying to be a physician assistant and the other two are in high school.
Her path to this moment began in communist Vietnam where her maternal grandfather died in prison for aiding U.S. forces. Her family escaped to a refugee camp in the Philippines before being admitted to the United States as refugees in 1993. Le was 14 when she arrived, the only daughter of seven children whose parents settled in Iowa to work as cutters in meatpacking plants. She enrolled in school and learned English with help from the ABC sitcom Full House. After stints as a nursing home aide and insurance claims adjuster, she graduated from law school in 2019. In 2024, Governor Tim Walz appointed her to the Minnesota Board of School Administrators before she resigned in April 2025 to work as a prosecutor. She was proud to work for ICE and protect the U.S., applying the law to everyone. But she opposed his brash enforcement style.
Le says she has no regrets about her outburst, stating she told the truth. She acknowledges she is not a perfect individual but promises to always give it her best. This marks a significant transition for a former prosecutor who once argued criminals should be deported but feared her own family could be arrested due to skin color under the current enforcement style. The experience ignited fear and violence throughout the Twin Cities, prompting her to seek legislative power to resolve the crisis.
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