Overview
- U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings found DHS and ICE violated a 2022 settlement, ruling 22 of 26 plaintiffs were arrested without warrants.
- The order lifts conditions of release for the 22 individuals, including workers detained at Liberty’s El Potro Mexican Café, and extends the decree to Feb. 2, 2026.
- DHS must reissue its warrantless‑arrest policy nationwide, certify retraining for officers who violated the agreement, and submit ongoing reports on arrests to the court.
- The court said two hours of questioning with exits guarded and no notice people could leave undercut any claim of brief detention or lawful probable cause.
- The National Immigrant Justice Center and ACLU of Illinois hailed a due‑process win, while DHS had not responded to requests for comment.