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March 2026

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Judge orders release of dozens of immigrants detained illegally by ICE in Chicago
ICE

Judge orders release of dozens of immigrants detained illegally by ICE in Chicago

A federal judge ordered the release of 32 immigrants detained during ICE's "Operation Midway Blitz" last fall, finding that arrests were made without proper warrants or probable cause in violation of the Castañon Nava consent decree, which governs ICE and CBP actions in Illinois and five other Midwestern states. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings made individualized assessments of 53 arrests, raising concerns about the validity of so-called "blank" I-200 warrants used in the field, citing missing information, boilerplate language contradicting arrest records, and questions about document authenticity. Cummings also rebuked DHS for defying his earlier order to circulate the consent decree's warrantless arrest policy nationwide, after the agency limited it to only the Chicago regional office while directing other offices to follow a separate ICE policy with reduced requirements. As of Wednesday, at least 11 of those ordered released had already been deported, while 11 others remained detained.

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