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US Courts Rule 4,400 Times ICE Detains Immigrants Illegally Amid Ongoing Detentions
Since October, more than 4,400 federal rulings found ICE detentions unlawful amid 20,200 habeas petitions, while detainee numbers rose 75% to about 68,000 under Trump.
A review of federal court records found more than 4,400 rulings since October that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is detaining immigrants unlawfully, yet the administration continues jailing people indefinitely.
Legal filings show immigrant detainees filed more than 20,200 habeas corpus petitions since Mr Trump took office, as judges focus on the administration's shift from a nearly three-decade-old interpretation.
On Jan 30, US District Judge Andrew Carter ordered a detainee’s immediate release, after Chief US District Judge Patrick Schiltz ruled an 18-year-old had been detained illegally.
The caseload forced Justice Department offices to divert more than 700 U.S. Justice Department attorneys, with five DOJ attorneys each appearing on over 1,000 habeas dockets, while a conservative U.S. Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans last week reversed release rulings.
Other appeals courts are set to take up the detention issue in the coming weeks as ICE detention population reached about 68,000 in February, up about 75% from 2025.
US courts have ruled more than 4,400 times that Trump administration immigration detentions are illegal. Since last October, US courts have ruled more than 4,400 times that Trump administration immigration detentions are illegal. Despite court orders, ICE continues to detain people, ignoring the law.