Federal Appeals Court Blocks Release of Hundreds Detained by Immigration Authorities, but Trump Administration Loses in Mixed Ruling
A federal appeals court in Chicago has declined to release hundreds of people detained by immigration authorities, handing a partial victory to the Biden administration while also rejecting key arguments made by the Trump administration.
The decision, issued by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, blocks orders handed down by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings in October and November as part of the "Operation Midway Blitz" deportation campaign. The court's ruling will not take effect for two weeks at the request of the Trump administration, which may attempt to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
However, the appeals court did side with Cummings on his decision to extend a settlement agreement aimed at restricting warrantless arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Illinois and nearby states. The original expiration date for the agreement had been May 2023, but Cummings' extension allowed it to run through February.
The court also rejected a novel argument made by the Trump administration to justify holding people in mandatory detention, which has been criticized across district courts nationwide as "upending decades of practice." Mark Fleming, associate director of federal litigation for the National Immigrant Justice Center, noted that this decision makes the 7th Circuit the first federal appeals court to reject the Trump administration's mandatory detention argument.
The ruling affects approximately 442 people still held by immigration authorities who do not pose a high safety risk. Roughly half of these individuals were arrested without warrants and could be released if individual determinations are made about whether their arrests violated the settlement agreement.
Critics argue that Justice Department lawyers failed to provide necessary information, leading to Judge Cummings' blanket finding that all detainees were "potential" class members in a lawsuit against the government. The National Immigrant Justice Center plans to push for expedited review of these individuals' cases, stating they deserve adjudication.
The three-judge appeals panel heard arguments on December 2 and included Lee and Judges Thomas Kirsch and Doris Pryor. Kirsch wrote a dissenting opinion, urging the court to block Cummings' orders entirely due to concerns about policy entrenchment from one administration to another.
A federal appeals court in Chicago has declined to release hundreds of people detained by immigration authorities, handing a partial victory to the Biden administration while also rejecting key arguments made by the Trump administration.
The decision, issued by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, blocks orders handed down by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings in October and November as part of the "Operation Midway Blitz" deportation campaign. The court's ruling will not take effect for two weeks at the request of the Trump administration, which may attempt to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
However, the appeals court did side with Cummings on his decision to extend a settlement agreement aimed at restricting warrantless arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Illinois and nearby states. The original expiration date for the agreement had been May 2023, but Cummings' extension allowed it to run through February.
The court also rejected a novel argument made by the Trump administration to justify holding people in mandatory detention, which has been criticized across district courts nationwide as "upending decades of practice." Mark Fleming, associate director of federal litigation for the National Immigrant Justice Center, noted that this decision makes the 7th Circuit the first federal appeals court to reject the Trump administration's mandatory detention argument.
The ruling affects approximately 442 people still held by immigration authorities who do not pose a high safety risk. Roughly half of these individuals were arrested without warrants and could be released if individual determinations are made about whether their arrests violated the settlement agreement.
Critics argue that Justice Department lawyers failed to provide necessary information, leading to Judge Cummings' blanket finding that all detainees were "potential" class members in a lawsuit against the government. The National Immigrant Justice Center plans to push for expedited review of these individuals' cases, stating they deserve adjudication.
The three-judge appeals panel heard arguments on December 2 and included Lee and Judges Thomas Kirsch and Doris Pryor. Kirsch wrote a dissenting opinion, urging the court to block Cummings' orders entirely due to concerns about policy entrenchment from one administration to another.
so like what's up with this whole situation? hundreds of people being detained by immigration authorities for ages and now they're just gonna get released after a federal appeals court steps in 
but at the same time, the Trump admin lost a major part of their argument - that's kinda weird. I mean i get why they wouldn't want to let these people go if they're not a high safety risk or whatever, but can't they just follow some rules? 
and what's with this "mandatory detention" thing tho? didn't that used to be a thing in the past and then like suddenly changed under Trump? why is it so bad now? 
. I mean, it's still not ideal that hundreds of people are being held in detention, but at least the courts are making some progress on setting boundaries for ICE. The fact that a mixed ruling came out shows us that we can have differing opinions and still find common ground. It's also pretty cool that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is leading the charge on rejecting the Trump administration's mandatory detention argument - it's like they're taking a step towards more humane immigration policies 
. Now, I know some people might be worried about the potential appeal to the Supreme Court, but let's not focus on the negatives just yet... we've got this, America! 
those ppl been detain by immigration authorities is like living in limbo. Like, what's the status of their cases? When can they go free? This ruling from 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals is a mixed bag, but I'm glad the Biden admin won something. The Trump administration's argument about mandatory detention was so sketchy... upending decades of practice? No thanks! 
And I'm low-key relieved that the court rejected that weird argument about mandatory detention - it sounds like a total overreach 
. But at the same time, I feel for those 442 ppl who still don't know if they're gonna get released or not... they deserve some answers ASAP 
. I mean, decades of practice gettin' tossed outta whack like that? It doesn't sit right with me.
. I'm wonderin', when are we gonna get some answers here?
. Like, what even is that? And now the court's blocking the release of hundreds of people detained by immigration authorities... it's like they're stuck in limbo 
. I mean, it's already hard enough for families to be torn apart and separated when parents are arrested or deported. Now it seems like the system is just dragging its feet and not doing anything concrete to help these people. And that 'mandatory detention' thing? It sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. What's next, holding kids in detention centers without any human rights protections? 
I hope the National Immigrant Justice Center follows through on their plans to get these cases reviewed ASAP. We need real change here!
Hundreds of people have been detained by immigration authorities for months, and still no clear end in sight. And to think, Trump administration lost in this mixed ruling 
... It's just so frustrating because you know the Trump admin was trying to hold onto power on a bunch of issues that shouldn't even be up for debate.
And now the Biden admin has this partial victory, but it's not like it really solves anything because there are still so many people stuck in limbo.
️
. The fact that the court did side with Judge Cummings on the warrantless arrests thing is a good start, but I think more needs to be done to make sure people aren't just sitting around waiting for who knows how long 
. We need to make sure our courts are working in favor of justice, not just serving as some fancy tool for deportation 
.
But here's the thing, it's not a total win for everyone - some of these people are still stuck, even if their warrants were probably bogus anyway 
.
Is it just a power play or are there actual concerns about public safety? 
Ugh, this is so messed up... Hundreds of people are still being held by immigration authorities without being released 
. And now they're just delaying the inevitable again 
. Meanwhile, the Trump administration can't even come up with a valid argument to justify holding people in mandatory detention