Overview

• ICE agents are stationed at immigration courts in at least seven U.S. cities, detaining migrants immediately after judges dismiss their cases.
• The arrests follow a DHS policy reversal in January 2025, which lifted restrictions on courthouse arrests and expanded expedited removal criteria to include migrants in the U.S. for less than two years.
• Many detained individuals have no criminal record and entered the U.S. legally through programs such as the CBP One app, raising concerns about due process violations.
• Immigration attorneys report that these operations create a climate of fear, potentially deterring migrants from attending court hearings as required by law.
• Legal advocates are mounting challenges against the policy, arguing that it undermines constitutional safeguards and international human rights obligations.