The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge in Delaware ordered the state labor department on April 13, 2026, to comply with a Homeland Security administrative subpoena tied to an immigration-related worksite enforcement investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice said the subpoena sought records for several specified Delaware businesses and that the department had refused to turn them over. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-de/pr/court-orders-delaware-department-labor-comply-lawfully-issued-federal-subpoena))

In a memorandum opinion, Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly found that the investigation had a legitimate purpose, that the records sought were relevant to the inquiry, and that the subpoena was not unreasonably broad or burdensome. He ruled the subpoena valid and enforceable and said the Delaware Department of Labor must produce the documents demanded in it. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-de/pr/court-orders-delaware-department-labor-comply-lawfully-issued-federal-subpoena))

The subpoena was issued by Homeland Security Investigations, which operates within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Justice Department said it related to an ongoing immigration-related worksite enforcement investigation. The court filing identified the matter as In re: United States of America, No. 25-322-CFC. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-de/pr/court-orders-delaware-department-labor-comply-lawfully-issued-federal-subpoena))

Delaware later appealed the ruling, saying the dispute involved employer wage data held by the labor department and raising concerns about the order to provide it to immigration officials. The April 13 order and the state’s subsequent appeal leave the legal fight over the subpoena intact, but the district court’s central holding is clear: the department has to comply unless a higher court says otherwise. ([news.delaware.gov](https://news.delaware.gov/2026/04/21/state-of-delaware-appeals-court-order-to-provide-employer-data-to-immigration-officials/))