Overview

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are detaining migrants directly after their immigration court hearings in cities including Phoenix, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Texas.
• The new tactic involves dropping migrants' immigration cases, allowing ICE to place them into expedited removal proceedings under revived 2019 policies.
• The policy targets undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years, significantly expanding the scope of expedited deportations previously limited under the Biden administration.
• Immigrant-rights advocates warn that these arrests discourage migrants from attending mandatory court hearings, jeopardize due process rights, and create widespread fear within immigrant communities.
• Legal groups and advocacy organizations are pursuing lawsuits to halt the practice, while protests have erupted outside immigration courts in response to the arrests.