Overview

• ICE agents have begun arresting undocumented migrants at immigration courts across the U.S., including Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, under a new expedited removal policy.
• The strategy involves dismissing migrants' cases mid-hearing, allowing ICE to detain them immediately and place them on a fast-track deportation process without full judicial review.
• Advocates and attorneys warn that the presence of ICE agents in courthouses is creating fear, deterring migrants from attending mandatory hearings, and undermining constitutional due process rights.
• Legal challenges have been filed against the tactic, with immigrant-rights groups arguing it violates constitutional protections and disrupts the immigration court system.
• The Department of Homeland Security defends the practice as lawful, stating credible fear interviews will continue for asylum seekers, while signaling that similar operations will increase in the coming weeks.