Judge declares ICE courthouse arrest policy arbitrary and blocks it in Manhattan
U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel ruled that ICE's practice of arresting individuals at immigration courts in Manhattan was arbitrary, issuing a final order that bars the agency from continuing the arrests.
In a 36-page opinion, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel concluded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement's arrests at three Manhattan immigration courts were wholly arbitrary and capricious, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. The judge granted summary judgment to the advocacy groups African Communities Together and The Door, which had sued over the arrests. Castel criticized ICE for providing no policy guidance and for failing to explain the shift from a 2025 memo that never applied to courts.
He rejected the agency's claim that discretion alone shields the practice from judicial review. The ruling overturns an earlier, narrower block and bars ICE from making any such arrests until a valid policy is established. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The ruling limits ICE's ability to detain migrants at courthouses, protecting access to legal proceedings.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage emphasizes local protest and calls for stronger state safeguards, while centrist coverage centers on the federal judge’s ruling that ICE’s courthouse arrest policy was arbitrary and blocks it.
LEFT
Coverage frames the story as a grassroots outcry demanding stronger state protections and scrutiny of ICE’s arrest tactics.
CENTER
Coverage frames the story as a legal defeat for ICE, highlighting the judge’s finding that the agency’s policy was arbitrary and the subsequent injunction.
The left emphasises
- more than a hundred people rallied at the Meriden courthouse
- demands for a stronger Trust Act and $50 million legal support
- concern that the ICE arrest used masked agents and an administrative warrant may breach state law
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration's Third-Country Deportations to Resume Pending Review
- Sep 30 Supreme Court issued an emergency order allowing third‑country deportations to continue.
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