Chicago – June 24, 2026
A federal judge in California on Tuesday issued a nationwide block against the Trump administration’s policy of making arrests at immigration courts, putting an end to a practice that garnered national attention.
Last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began detaining migrants in courthouse hallways across the country, sometimes moments after pleading their cases. The move raised alarm among attorneys and advocates who said the practice was turning immigration courts from places of due process into zones of fear and punishing people who were following the rules.
Tuesday’s ruling marks a major blow to the Trump administration, which rescinded long-held guidance that had limited immigration enforcement in or near courthouses. Trump officials had argued the previous guidance hampered the ability of immigration enforcement officers to apprehend dangerous individuals.
