Eric Wessan, the solicitor general of Iowa, commented on a recent interview in which  criticized federal immigration enforcement. 

The New York Times published the interview on Thursday. In January, Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, had ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had violated nearly 100 orders issued by Minnesota’s Federal District Court during that month. 

In his ruling, Schiltz said that "ICE is not a law unto itself." 

Schiltz said in the interview that his order was prompted by a concern that the Trump administration's disregard for court orders was flooding his courthouse to a near standstill and inflaming the protests surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota. 

In a post on X, Wessen said that judges sitting down for on-the-record interviews to criticize federal immigration enforcement "seems imprudent. Especially when the matters being discussed are still pending and before the court." 

Wessen also took exception with Schlitz telling the Times he felt the need to "sit down and represent myself." 

"This gets to the heart of what I think rings in my ears as not ideal. When judges see themselves as advocates and 'represent[ing]' themselves in litigation, they're prone to become advocates for a side. Not good," Wessen said.