Supreme Court declines to hear immigration detention case, leaving lower-court ruling intact

The Supreme Court declined to hear Genalo v. Black, a lawsuit that sought to require bond hearings for lawful permanent residents held in immigration detention for long periods. The dispute centered on Carol Williams Black, who spent seven months in detention, and Keisy Guerrero Mariano, who was detained for 21 months without a hearing after serving a prison term for assault. Black has since left the country, while Governor Kathy Hochul pardoned Guerrero Mariano, eliminating the state conviction that justified his detention.

The pardon was granted shortly before the Supreme Court briefing deadline, and the Justice Department joined a stipulation urging dismissal. With the Court's refusal to review, the Second Circuit's ruling that prolonged detention may require a bond hearing remains unchallenged, though the issue stays unresolved for other detainees.