A federal judge in California has issued an order barring immigration agents from making arrests at immigration courts. The ruling targets policies expanded under the Trump administration for its mass deportation efforts.
Judge P. Casey Pitts of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued the order on Tuesday. He described the 2025 courthouse-arrest policies as arbitrary and capricious, noting that the administration failed to provide reasoned explanations for the actions.
Pitts stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were arresting noncitizens based on the immigration offenses for which they appeared in court. The decision also ended a Trump-era policy allowing officers to hold detainees in temporary rooms for up to 72 hours, beyond the standard 12-hour limit.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources said the change would force officers into the field more often. They warned this could increase risks to officers and the public while leading to more collateral arrests.
Former ICE New York field office deputy director Scott Mechkowski said courthouses remain the safest places for such operations. Homeland Security counsel James Percival called the ruling naked judicial activism.
