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US Judges Rebuke Trump Immigration Policy in 4,400+ Rulings
More than 400 federal judges have ruled 4,400+ times since October that the Trump administration unlawfully detained immigrants, a Reuters review found. Despite court orders, ICE detentions continue to rise.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-14
US Judges Rebuke Trump Immigration Policy in 4,400+ Rulings

Hundreds of federal judges across the United States have ruled more than 4,400 times since October that President Donald Trump’s administration unlawfully detained immigrants, according to a sweeping review of court records by Reuters.

The findings represent a significant legal setback for Trump’s immigration crackdown, which has sharply expanded detention practices. Despite repeated court rulings ordering detainees’ release, the administration has continued holding many immigrants while appeals and legal battles unfold.

Courts Push Back

U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston of West Virginia, appointed by former President George W. Bush, criticized the government’s legal arguments in a recent ruling ordering the release of a Venezuelan detainee.

“It is appalling that the Government insists that this Court should redefine or completely disregard the current law as it is clearly written,” Johnston wrote.

Most rulings challenge the administration’s departure from a decades-old interpretation of federal law that allowed immigrants already living in the U.S. to seek bond hearings while their cases proceed in immigration court.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration is “working to lawfully deliver on President Trump’s mandate to enforce federal immigration law.”

Surge in Detentions

Under Trump’s renewed enforcement drive, the number of detainees held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged to approximately 68,000 — a 75% increase from when he took office last year.

However, the administration secured a recent legal victory from a conservative appeals court in New Orleans. U.S. Circuit Judge Edith Jones ruled that prior administrations’ limited use of detention authority did not mean the government lacked broader powers to detain immigrants.

Other appellate courts are expected to weigh in soon, setting the stage for potential Supreme Court involvement.

Flood of Habeas Petitions

With limited avenues for release, immigrant detainees have filed more than 20,200 habeas corpus lawsuits since Trump returned to office, according to Reuters’ analysis of federal court dockets via Westlaw.

Habeas corpus — enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and rooted in English common law — allows detainees to challenge unlawful imprisonment.

Since October, at least 4,421 cases have resulted in federal judges ruling that ICE was holding individuals unlawfully.

The legal strain has forced the U.S. Justice Department to reassign attorneys from criminal prosecutions to handle immigration habeas cases. Reuters identified more than 700 Justice Department lawyers representing the government in immigration-related matters, with some attorneys appearing in more than 1,000 cases each.

Cases of Controversy

Among those detained was 18-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker Joseph Thomas, arrested during a traffic stop in Wisconsin. Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz ruled his detention unlawful, citing a lack of evidence that ICE possessed a warrant.

In New York, U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury, appointed by former President Joe Biden, found ICE violated court orders by transferring a detainee across state lines while misrepresenting his location.

In another emergency ruling, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken blocked the transfer of an Ecuadoran detainee and later ordered his release.

Judges have also criticized government compliance. In Minnesota, Schiltz found the administration violated 96 court orders in 76 separate cases.

Legal and Political Stakes

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the surge in lawsuits as expected, arguing that “activist judges” were attempting to obstruct the administration’s enforcement mandate.

Justice Department spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said the government is complying with court orders while fully enforcing federal immigration law.

Advocates, meanwhile, say many detainees lack access to legal representation. Some immigrants reportedly were quoted thousands of dollars in legal fees to file habeas petitions, limiting their ability to challenge detention.

The growing legal battle underscores a broader constitutional clash between executive immigration authority and judicial oversight — one that could ultimately reshape federal detention powers nationwide.
Tagged:

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ImmigrationPolicy

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