Judge Tosses Ruling Backing Trump Mass Detention Policy

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected an immigration court ruling that had allowed the Trump administration broader authority to detain migrants without bond hearings, a decision that could potentially lead to the release of thousands currently in custody.

The ruling came from U.S. District Court Judge Sunshine Sykes, who sharply criticized the administration’s public justification for its detention efforts, including claims that officials are primarily targeting the “worst of the worst” offenders for deportation.

“‘Worst of the worst’ is an inaccurate description of most of those affected by DHS and ICE’s operations,” Sykes wrote. “Perhaps in utilizing this extreme language DHS seeks to justify the magnitude and scope of its operations against non-criminal noncitizens.”

“It is not the ‘worst of the worst’ that are swept into the nationwide and reckless violations of the law by the executive branch,” she added.

Sykes, a Biden appointee, said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have at times relied on questionable legal grounds to hold migrants in detention. Because of that, she argued, migrants are entitled to bond hearings so an immigration judge can determine whether they may continue their immigration proceedings outside of custody.

The judge pointed to the case of Liam Conejo Ramos, who she said was detained along with his father “without a valid warrant,” as an example of what she described as unlawful enforcement actions.

The decision follows an earlier ruling from Sykes in December, when she found the detention program illegal but said those being held required additional relief from the court.

Under long-standing immigration practice, migrants are typically denied bond hearings only when they are considered recent arrivals. However, the Trump administration moved away from decades of precedent by determining that migrants arrested by ICE after living in the United States for years should also be held without the option of bond.

Sykes said that despite her previous decision, migrants continued to be denied bond hearings and were instead forced to file habeas corpus petitions in federal court to seek release.

“As evidenced by the volume of habeas petitions filed… and the conduct of Respondents in continuing to violate the rights of those class members, further relief is necessary,” she wrote.

The ruling could create further legal uncertainty, as it conflicts with a decision issued last week by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. In that case, the appeals court ruled 2–1 that the administration’s detention practices were lawful.

“After reviewing carefully the relevant provisions and structure of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, the statutory history, and Congressional intent, we conclude that the government’s position is correct,” the majority opinion stated.

The clash between the district court ruling and the 5th Circuit decision sets the stage for continued legal battles over immigration enforcement.

READ NEXT: DHS Funding Blocked As Shutdown Deadline Nears