CHICAGO (AP) — A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago area immigration crackdown, issuing a split decision on Thursday that also approved the extension of a consent decree. This decree details the conditions under which federal immigration agents can make warrantless arrests.
Last week, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the 2022 agreement that governs the operations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has been heavily scrutinized during the past administration's increased immigration enforcement efforts. This crackdown has resulted in over 4,000 arrests.
Following a ruling from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings last month, who found that the government had violated the consent decree, there were orders for the release of over 600 detainees on bond. However, the appeals court's decision has since paused these releases, leaving approximately 450 immigrants still in custody.
In their 2-1 decision, the appellate judges indicated that Cummings had overstepped his authority by ordering the blanket release of detainees without evaluating each case individually. While the ruling emphasized the care needed in balancing enforcement with public safety, it also noted that the previous administration had miscategorized all immigrant arrestees as subject to mandatory detention.
Attorneys representing the detainees expressed disappointment over the court's ruling but acknowledged the importance of maintaining the consent decree, which requires ICE to provide documentation for each arrest. Legal challenges aimed at limiting the scope of warrantless arrests have been growing in various jurisdictions, including Colorado.
Lawyers have been pressing for a swift resolution, emphasizing that many individuals are facing deportation without a clear understanding of their legal choices. The detainees, primarily from the Chicago area, were apprehended during Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration crackdown that unfolded from summer to early fall.
The National Immigrant Justice Center emphasized their commitment to assist unlawfully arrested individuals, advocating for their return to their families and communities as soon as possible.
The Department of Homeland Security has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this latest court decision.
The consent decree, which had expired earlier this year, has been extended until February. The government attempted to contest this extension in court. This agreement, first established following a lawsuit in 2018, impacts immigrants arrested in states such as Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
