Federal court rules Trump admin can hold ICE detainees without bond

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with the Trump administration over its policy of holding immigration detainees without bond hearings.

The court ruled in a 2-1 decision endorsing the federal government’s interpretation of immigration law to disqualify illegal immigrants from being able to ask an immigration judge to be released on bond. The Trump administration has argued that all illegal immigrants, even those who have been in the US unlawfully for a long period of time, are subject to mandatory detention during deportation proceedings and can each be treated as an “applicant for admission.”

"The text says what it says, regardless of the decisions of prior Administrations," the majority opinion read. "That prior Administrations decided to use less than their full enforcement authority...does not mean they lacked the authority to do more."

The dissenting opinion, written by Biden nominee Judge Dana Douglas, claimed that the government’s push for mandatory detention conflicted with “historical precedent” and ignored how other administrations did not seek to detain illegal immigrants without bond in large quantities.

Previous administrations had allowed illegal immigrants apprehended to be released on bond while their immigration case was pending, a practice that would at times result in the suspect failing to appear before the court.

The ruling was applauded by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who referred to it as a “crucial legal victory” in support of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

"The Fifth Circuit just held illegal aliens can rightfully be detained without bond – a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn,” Bondi said. “We will continue vindicating President Trump’s law and order agenda in courtrooms across the country.