A new class action lawsuit challenges ICE agents who are turning courtrooms into deportation ambush zones, violating fundamental due process rights.
ICE agents across the country are systematically ambushing asylum seekers at immigration court hearings, creating an impossible choice that violates constitutional protections. A new class action lawsuit reveals how courtrooms have become deportation traps.
The Scheme
The lawsuit documents a coordinated pattern spanning from New York to California. Asylum seekers from Venezuela, Cuba, and Ecuador appear for required hearings with their attorneys. Government prosecutors make verbal motions to dismiss the cases—which judges grant. But instead of being free to go, individuals walk directly into waiting ICE agents who immediately detain and deport them without the hearing promised under federal law.
Constitutional Violations
This practice violates multiple protections that apply to all people on U.S. soil:
Due Process Rights: The Fifth Amendment guarantees meaningful hearings before depriving someone of liberty. By dismissing cases only to immediately arrest individuals, the government denies the process required by federal immigration statutes.
Illegal Detention: ICE uses “administrative warrants”—documents they sign themselves rather than warrants issued by federal judges. These self-issued warrants have no constitutional authority, which requires judicial oversight for arrests.
Impossible Choice: The scheme forces people to either skip court and violate the law, or appear and face immediate deportation. This makes courtrooms dangerous for vulnerable populations.
Real-World Impact
The individuals targeted are overwhelmingly non-criminals seeking asylum through proper legal channels—LGBTQ individuals fleeing persecution, political dissidents, families escaping violence. When courtrooms become hunting grounds, it creates distrust in the entire judicial system and discourages even legal immigrants from participating in civil litigation.
The Legal Standard
Courts have long recognized that courthouses must be safe zones. The principle is fundamental: individuals complying with court orders should be protected while engaging with the legal system. Asylum seekers have statutory rights under federal law to present their cases—rights explicitly granted by Congress.
Looking Forward
This class action seeks to establish clear guidelines preventing ICE from using courtrooms as arrest sites. The case represents more than immigration policy—it’s about the integrity of our legal system. When courts become traps rather than forums for justice, the rule of law itself is under attack.
This story is developing as courts consider challenges to these enforcement practices.