National

Trump-Appointed Judge Rebukes Trump's ICE Detention Policy

By Dan Gooding Newsweek
US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING. A man walks past a sign hanging on a fence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 3, 2026.
US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING. A man walks past a sign hanging on a fence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 3, 2026. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump was among those who ruled Tuesday that the mandatory detention of immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was illegal.

While the White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have insisted that ICE has the authority to hold immigrants marked for deportation without bail, the decision out of New York could mean a dramatic shift for thousands of detainees.

"The government's novel interpretation of the immigration statutes defies their plain text,” Judge Joseph Bianco wrote, referring to how ICE had interpreted immigration laws passed by Congress.

The 3-0 ruling marks another loss for President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies, which were popular among voters in the 2024 election but have since seen widespread division among the public and lawmakers.

Because the ruling came from the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, the case could now reach the country’s highest court.

Newsweek reached out to DHS and the Department of Justice via email for comment Tuesday morning.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

A man walks past an anti-ICE sign hanging on a fence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 3, 2026.
A man walks past an anti-ICE sign hanging on a fence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 3, 2026. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU AFP via Getty Images

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 11:07 AM.

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