A federal judge has delivered a strong critique of the Trump administration, accusing it of terrorizing immigrants and grossly disregarding the law in its attempts to deport millions of undocumented individuals residing in the United States. U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes, based in Riverside, California, highlighted the administration's misconduct through instances that led to the deaths of American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minnesota. She articulated that the actions of the executive branch should not be viewed as isolated incidents but as part of a broader systemic issue.
In her recent ruling, Sykes indicated that the Trump administration had violated her earlier December decision, which found that it was illegally denying many detained immigrants the opportunity for release. She mandated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notify these individuals about their potential eligibility for bond and ensure they had access to a phone to contact an attorney within one hour. Additionally, Sykes dismissed a previous September ruling from an immigration court that the administration had used to justify its policy on mandatory detention.
The White House did not comment directly but deferred to the DHS, which issued a statement claiming that the Supreme Court had consistently overruled lower courts on issues pertaining to mandatory detention. The department maintained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was aligned with the law and all court decisions until those judgments were ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court.
Traditionally, under previous administrations, individuals without criminal records were able to request bond hearings before an immigration judge while their cases were being processed, except for those stopped at the border. However, the Trump administration reversed this practice, resulting in a significant number of immigrants being unable to seek bond hearings. Since Trump took office, over 20,000 habeas corpus petitions have been filed in federal court, emphasizing the widespread impact of the administration's policies.
While many judges have granted these petitions, subsequent rulings have frequently found the administration to be noncompliant with court orders regarding the release of individuals or the provision of other forms of relief. A federal judge in Minnesota went as far as to hold a Trump administration lawyer in contempt of court for failing to comply with an order demanding the return of identification documents to an immigrant who had been ordered to be released. Similarly, in New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz issued an order requiring the administration to clarify the procedures in place to ensure compliance with court orders, noting that in 12 out of roughly 550 cases since December 5, deadlines for bond hearings had not been met.
In her recent commentary, Sykes condemned the administration's failure to guarantee due process for immigrants, stating that these failures adversely affect families, communities, and the nation as a whole. She also criticized the administration's justification for its immigration enforcement by asserting that most of those arrested did not fall into the category of the 'worst criminals,' whom the administration claimed to target.
Sykes remarked, "Americans have expressed deep concerns over unlawful, wanton acts by the executive branch." She reiterated that alongside its "terror against noncitizens," the administration had extended its harmful practices to American citizens, noting the tragic cases of Good and Pretti.
Matt Adams, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the case before Judge Sykes, expressed optimism that her latest ruling could lead to the abolishment of mandatory detention policies and restore the possibility of bond hearings for immigrants in the normal course of legal proceedings.
