US EditionJudge orders release of Iranian bodybuilder after nearly 5-month detention
Hamid Ziaei was detained nearly six months without progress on removal to a third country while authorities vetted options, his attorneys said in court filings.
- On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia ordered the release of Iranian migrant and bodybuilder Hamid Ziaei after more than five months in U.S. immigration custody.
- Court filings say Ziaei fled Iran and arrived in the U.S. in San Diego, California, in January 2024, receiving provisional release with work authorization in mid-2024 before being taken back into custody in June.
- Declaring health impacts, Ziaei reported that prolonged detention at Torrance County Detention Facility caused anxiety, panic attacks, weight and muscle loss, and deferred dental work for three tooth infections until release.
- U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia said he would issue an order for Ziaei's release within 24 hours, said Landry and Wang after the Albuquerque hearing.
- Ziaei's case joins thousands of recent habeas petitions as ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations cited a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing six months for removal arrangements, while attorneys at Innovation Law Lab argued nearly six months detained without progress violated due process.
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8 Articles
Federal judge orders Iranian bodybuilder’s release from New Mexico jail
A federal judge in Albuquerque on Dec. 15, 2025 ordered ICE to immediately release Hamid Ziaei, an Iranian man held for the last six months at the Torrance County Detention Facility. (Courtesy Innovation Law Lab)A federal judge in Albuquerque on Monday ordered the immediate release of an Iranian man held at an Estancia immigration lockup for the last six months, agreeing with his lawyers that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was no…
Judge Orders Release of Iranian Bodybuilder Detained in US
A federal judge has ordered the release of Iranian bodybuilder Hamid Ziaei, detained by US immigration for over five months. Ziaei, fearing persecution if returned to Iran, was held without clear deportation progress. Legal arguments centered on due process violations and prolonged detention effects on Ziaei's health.
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