Lawsuit Filed Against Trump Administration Over Immigration Courthouse Arrests by ICE
### Title: Federal Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration's Courthouse Immigration Arrests
In a significant legal move, a coalition of immigrant rights groups, including the Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative and American Gateways, along with 12 anonymous immigrants, have filed a federal class action lawsuit in Washington, D.C., contesting the Trump administration’s policy of conducting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at immigration courthouses[1]. The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, targets the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, alleging that these practices violate constitutionally required due process and deter immigrants from attending their court hearings, thereby undermining the fairness of the immigration court system[1][2].
The plaintiffs argue that the Trump administration’s reversal of longstanding limits on civil immigration arrests in and around courthouses has led to a “palpable fear” among immigrants, discouraging them from appearing for hearings and check-ins as required by law[1][2]. The lawsuit contends these arrests are especially concerning because they target individuals who are complying with immigration procedures—showing up for hearings, ICE check-ins, and appointments—making them “easy targets” for enforcement actions[2].
Key claims include due process violations, expedited removal, and arbitrary policy change. The administration is accused of instructing prosecutors to move for dismissal of ongoing cases and judges to grant these dismissals immediately, which allegedly strips immigrants of their right to a fair hearing and review[1][2]. Immigrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years are reportedly placed in expedited removal proceedings, allowing deportation without a hearing, which the lawsuit claims further deprives them of due process[2]. The lawsuit highlights that the previous, more restrictive policy against courthouse arrests was repealed early in the Trump administration, exposing immigrants to arrest and detention at a time when they are attempting to comply with the legal system[2].
Civil rights advocates argue that these practices amount to an “authoritarian takeover of the U.S. immigration court system,” where the government is effectively “weaponizing” the courts to intimidate and punish those attempting to follow legal procedures[1][3]. The plaintiffs seek judicial intervention to halt these practices and restore protections that prevent ICE arrests at courthouses, ensuring that immigrants can pursue their claims without fear of immediate detention[1][3].
The ongoing legal effort represents a significant challenge to the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, centering on the rights of immigrants to access courts and receive a fair hearing without the threat of immediate arrest[1][2][3]. In some cases, immigrants are detained immediately after the hearing or upon exiting the courthouse. Federal charges were brought against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in a case that many legal experts said underscored the administration's attempt to strong-arm courts around the country as it pushes ahead with controversial immigration policies. The lawsuit was filed at a federal court in Washington, D.C., on behalf of a dozen immigrants and several civil rights groups.
The Trump administration has rescinded those guidelines, and masked law enforcement officers have begun showing up at courthouses across the country to arrest migrants. The lawsuit details the administration's new strategy: government attorneys ask an immigration judge to dismiss civil proceedings against an immigrant, and ICE agents arrest the individual immediately after dismissal. Among the individual plaintiffs are people who unlawfully entered the US in recent years and were arrested at courthouses after their cases were dismissed, including several who had pending asylum applications. The lawsuit filed by civil rights groups alleges that the administration's new strategy of arresting immigrants immediately after dismissal of their cases and transferring them into expedited removal proceedings violates the US Constitution and federal law.
A high-profile incident occurred in April when a state judge in Wisconsin allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest by federal agents during a criminal matter. The person is then transferred into expedited removal proceedings, which gives them little legal recourse and typically requires their detention. Immigrant rights groups claim that courthouse arrests reflect a growing trend of enforcement extending into places once considered out of bounds. The Trump administration's pressure on ICE to increase detention and deportation numbers has led to a push to undertake immigration-enforcement operations at courthouses.
In many cases, immigrants are detained in facilities far from the city where their court hearing took place. Stephen Miller, the architect of the Trump administration's immigration policy, reportedly told ICE officials in May that they needed to average 3,000 arrests per day. The Cuban man identified as P.D. was arrested immediately after his asylum hearing in late May, following the government's motion to dismiss his case without notice or articulating any change in circumstances. Judge Hannah Dugan has pleaded not guilty in the case. The rescission of the DHS policy came as a surprise to lawyers, legal advocates, and civil rights activists who expressed concern that the operations targeted immigrants following legal procedures.
The lawsuit aims to protect the constitutional rights of immigrants and uphold the fairness of the immigration court system. The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the administration's immigration enforcement policies and the rights of immigrants in the United States.
- The plaintiffs, comprising various civil rights groups and anonymous immigrants, allege that the Trump administration's policy of conducting ICE arrests at immigration courthouses, as outlined in their federal class action lawsuit in Washington, D.C., infringes on constitutionally required due process, particularly in the context of crime-and-justice and general-news.
- In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that the Trump administration's reversal of policies limiting civil immigration arrests in and around courthouses has resulted in a palpable fear among immigrants, making them reluctant to attend required hearings and appointments, an issue that raises concerns in the realm of politics and general-news.
