Federal judges in the Deep South lag months in ruling on immigrant habeas petitions
In Mississippi and Louisiana, federal judges typically take three months or longer to decide habeas petitions filed by detained immigrants, far slower than courts in other states.
Since the surge in immigration enforcement, tens of thousands of detainees have filed habeas petitions seeking release from ICE custody. Analysis of court records reveals that judges in Mississippi and Louisiana routinely require three months or more to issue rulings, with half of Mississippi cases taking at least 92 days, the highest median among states. Courts in Texas, California, Florida and Minnesota resolve the majority of petitions within a month or less, and Minnesota’s median is about 12 days.
Advocates argue that prolonged detention in facilities such as the Adams County Correctional Center subjects immigrants to inadequate food, water and medical care, claims the Department of Homeland Security calls false. Judge David C. Bramlette III, who oversees most cases in the Mississippi Southern District, has been assigned 747 petitions, with roughly 539 still active. Attorneys in Louisiana and Oklahoma report similar delays, citing procedural hurdles and generous deadlines granted by judges. Some detainees have opted for voluntary departure rather than await a decision, highlighting the human impact of the judicial slowdown.
Why it matters
Delayed court decisions keep immigrants in uncertain, often harsh detention for months, affecting their liberty and wellbeing.
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