CELEBRITIES
JUST IN: Supreme Court Overturns Donald Trump’s Immigration Detention Policy, Ruling It Unlawful and Raising Serious Concerns Over ICE Brutality
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a major legal victory for the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on Friday upheld a sweeping immigration detention policy, ruling that the government may detain undocumented immigrants — including those who have lived in the U.S. for years and have no criminal history — without offering bond hearings while their deportation cases proceed. �
AP News
The decision reverses longstanding precedent, in which most noncitizens could seek a bond hearing before a judge to argue for release pending removal proceedings. Critics argue the ruling effectively expands indefinite detention powers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raising severe concerns about due process and allegations of brutality in enforcement. �
WTOP News
📌 Key Points of the Ruling
2–1 Ruling by the 5th Circuit: The majority opinion, authored by Judge Edith H. Jones, held that federal immigration law permits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to classify a wide range of deportation targets as “applicants for admission,” making them ineligible for bond hearings. �
WTOP News
Contrasting Lower-Court Decisions: Hundreds of federal judges across the U.S. have previously ruled that the expanded detention practice likely violates constitutional due process rights — a pattern of legal resistance that will now be tested at higher levels. �
Inquirer.com
Dissent Highlights Overreach: The lone dissenting judge warned that the government is overstepping its authority and bypassing Congress, with potentially millions of immigrants affected. �
WTOP News
Administration Response: Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the decision as a “significant blow against activist judges” and supportive of Trump’s “law and order” immigration stance. �
WTOP News
🧨 Fallout and Broader Concerns
Immigrant advocacy groups, civil rights lawyers, and many legal experts condemn the policy as unlawful and inhumane, arguing that:
Indefinite detention without bond undermines constitutional protections and due process.
ICE enforcement has been linked to reports of brutality, including warrantless arrests and forceful entries into homes. �
AP News
Cases of children and families detained — such as the high-profile detention and subsequent federal judge-ordered release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father in Minnesota — have sparked national outrage over treatment conditions and ICE tactics. �
TIME
While this appellate court ruling is not from the Supreme Court, it significantly raises the stakes for future judicial review. If the Biden administration or immigrant rights advocates appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court could ultimately decide whether the expanded detention policy is lawful, potentially delivering a watershed moment in U.S. immigration jurisprudence.