Overview

• ICE agents detained multiple migrants outside the Phoenix immigration court on May 20, following their scheduled hearings.
• Government attorneys moved to dismiss cases en masse, enabling immediate deportation under expanded expedited removal policies.
• The DHS directive issued in January reversed protections against courthouse arrests, allowing ICE enforcement at sensitive locations.
• Arrests focused on individuals in the U.S. for less than two years, including asylum seekers with pending credible fear interviews.
• Immigration attorneys described the scene as chaotic, with plainclothes agents detaining individuals regardless of criminal history.