US courts rule against ICE for illegal detention of Indian nationals

US federal courts across multiple states have ruled against immigration authorities in a series of cases involving Indian nationals finding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE unlawfully detained them without bond hearings or due process protections required under federal lawIn rulings issued this month in California Michigan and Pennsylvania judges ordered the release of Indian citizens or directed ICE to provide prompt bond hearings rejecting the governmentrsquos use of mandatory detention provisions for individuals who were already living in the United StatesIn California the US District Court for the Southern District of California ordered the immediate release of Vikas Kumar an Indian national detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center The court ruled that ICE unlawfully revoked Kumarrsquos parole without notice explanation or a hearing violating the Fifth Amendmentrsquos Due Process ClauseKumar entered the United States in March 2024 and was released on conditional parole after authorities found he was not a flight risk or a danger to the community He later obtained work authorisation a driverrsquos licence and a Social Security number and applied for asylumHe was rearrested in December 2025 while delivering food for DoorDash The court said the government failed to show any changed circumstances that justified his detention and ordered his release under the original parole conditionsIn Michigan the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan granted habeas relief to Varun Varun an Indian citizen detained at the North Lake Processing Center The court ruled that ICE wrongly held him under a mandatory detention statute that applies to arriving noncitizens even though he had been living in the United States before his arrestVarun entered the US in April 2023 and was initially released on his own recognisance He later applied for asylum and lived in California before being arrested while working as a truck driver in December 2025 The court ordered ICE to provide him with a bond hearing within five business days or release him finding that his continued detention violated due processIn a separate Michigan case the same court granted similar relief to Sumit Tulsibhai Patel another Indian national detained at the same facility Patel entered the US in 2021 and was released on bond before being rearrested in 2025 The court ruled that ICE again misapplied mandatory detention rules and ordered a bond hearing or release citing constitutional concernsIn Pennsylvania the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ordered the release of Amit Kanaut an Indian citizen detained by ICE during a routine checkin in December 2025 Kanaut had entered the US in 2022 complied with ICE reporting requirements worked legally and pursued an asylum claimThe court rejected the governmentrsquos argument that Kanaut was subject to mandatory detention as an ldquoapplicant for admissionrdquo noting that he had been residing in the United States for nearly three years The judge said detaining him without a bond hearing ldquooffends due processrdquo and ordered his immediate releaseAcross the cases courts criticised a recent government policy directing ICE to treat many undocumented immigrants as subject to mandatory detention even if they were already living in the country Judges repeatedly held that such individuals fall under a different section of immigration law that allows release on bondThe courts also stressed that noncitizens released after an initial custody determination have a protected liberty interest Judges said parole or bond cannot be revoked without notice reasons and an opportunity to be heardThe rulings add to a growing body of decisions pushing back against ICE detention practices and reaffirming that immigration enforcement must comply with constitutional due process including for Indian nationals seeking asylum in the United StatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever