Thursday, November 13, 2025 -A federal judge in Chicago has delivered a landmark blow to the enforcement tactics of ICE, ordering the release of over 300 individuals detained without proper warrants during the crackdown known as Operation Midway Blitz.
The ruling stems from findings that ICE violated a 2022 consent decree governing when warrantless arrests are lawful. Those detained include many with no criminal history and who may be eligible for bond or alternative release.
During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the Justice Department to release 13 detainees by Friday and to provide detailed status reports on more than 600 others still in custody.
The judge paused deportation proceedings for those potentially eligible and set a tight deadline for review of each case. The order signals a broader shift in how the courts will treat immigration enforcement practices moving forward.
The stakes are high. ICE must now reckon with a court-mandated transparency regime and potential mass releases, while detainees who presumed indefinite detention now face a path to bond or freedom.
For those arrested under similar circumstances nationwide, the ruling sets a precedent: detaining people without warrants or proper documentation may no longer stand unchallenged.
0 Comments