Trump administration faces lawsuit by immigrants, civil rights groups over immigration court arrests
Trump administration faces lawsuit by immigrants, civil rights groups over immigration court arrests
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Twelve immigrants and civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Trump administration, seeking to block its policy that permits immigration agents to arrest undocumented individuals at court hearings, Anadolu Agency reported.
The lawsuit alleges that the administration has violated basic due process rights guaranteed under US immigration law and the Fifth Amendment by placing people into expedited removal proceedings and deporting them without proper hearings.
All twelve plaintiffs were detained while attending immigration hearings to seek asylum or protection, with most still in custody. Their attorneys argue that the government is abandoning the long-standing practice of limiting arrests at courthouses, a move that may discourage immigrants from appearing in court.
The case was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs request the court to declare Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and immigration court arrest policies “arbitrary and capricious” and to nullify them.
ICE agents have been conducting immigration raids nationwide as part of President Donald Trump’s intensified efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. Previously, the Department of Homeland Security enforced rules restricting arrests at courthouses, but these protections were removed early in Trump’s second term, leading to masked officers detaining migrants at courts across the country.
The raids have sparked widespread protests, particularly in California, where Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops and US Marines to support federal immigration officials in Los Angeles.
