Judge bars immigration arrests at US courthouses in a setback for Trump

A U.S. District Judge has nationwide halted the federal government from making arrests at immigration courts, a practice that began after President Trump took office. Judge Casey Pitts ruled that the Trump administration's reversal of a long-standing policy lacked reasoned decision-making and failed to address the "chilling effect" on court attendance. This ruling is a nationwide invalidation of the policy, following a previous order that applied only in New York. The Department of Homeland Security criticized the decision as judicial overreach. The article notes that after Trump's inauguration, arrests often occurred in hallways following hearings, and the administration was also faulted for holding individuals longer than permitted.

A federal judge in California has blocked Trump-era policies that expanded arrests at immigration courthouses and allowed longer detentions in short-term facilities. US District Judge P. Casey Pitts ruled that actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review were "arbitrary and capricious." The ruling, issued in response to a case brought by an asylum seeker, struck down policies that rescinded previous restrictions on courthouse arrests and allowed detainees to be held for up to 72 hours. Judge Pitts reinstated Biden-era policies that limited courthouse arrests to specific circumstances and capped short-term detentions at 12 hours, finding the administration failed to provide reasoned explanations for the changes.