A federal judge in California has vacated the Trump administration's nationwide policies that expanded arrests at immigration courthouses and increased the duration noncitizens could be held in short-term facilities, ruling the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and another government agency were 'arbitrary and capricious.'
Judge's Ruling and Background
U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts of the Northern District of California issued the 71-page ruling on Tuesday, striking down ICE policies that rescinded previous restrictions on courthouse arrests and allowed detainees to be held in short-term cells for up to 72 hours. The ruling also addressed a similar policy by the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review that removed limits on courthouse arrests.
The case was brought by an asylum seeker who was arrested after departing a routine hearing at a San Francisco immigration court. Judge Pitts, appointed by President Joe Biden, effectively reinstated Biden-era policies that limited courthouse arrests to narrow circumstances and capped short-term facility detentions to 12 hours.
Impact on Immigration Enforcement
Since President Donald Trump retook office in January 2025, his administration has intensified arrests of immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally as part of an aggressive deportation campaign. The ruling represents a significant legal setback to these enforcement efforts.
Previous guidance had restricted courthouse arrests to situations involving national security threats, imminent danger, or 'hot pursuit' of someone posing a public safety risk, according to the ruling. Judge Pitts found that the Trump administration failed to provide 'reasoned explanations' for rescinding these policies, as required under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Reactions and Legal Basis
James Percival, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, criticized the ruling on social media, calling it 'naked judicial activism in service of an anti-American, open borders agenda.'
In his ruling, Judge Pitts wrote: 'For 80 years, Congress has commanded federal agencies to think before they act. The law requires an agency at least provide sound reasons for following its chosen course.'
