Federal Judge Orders Bond and Release for Hundreds Seized in Illinois Immigration Sweep

Overview

• U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered that eligible detainees be given bond by noon on November 21 as part of equitable relief.
• The Justice Department must review qualifying arrests and submit a list by November 19 before taking required actions.
• The order applies to people not subject to mandatory detention and allows alternatives to custody such as electronic monitoring or virtual check-ins.
• Plaintiffs say agents conducting the June–October "Operation Midway Blitz" made more than 3,000 arrests and violated the prior settlement’s constraints.
• Attorneys report at least 1,100 arrestees have left the country voluntarily and 615 remain detained nationwide, with a viral daycare arrest video fueling public scrutiny.