A federal judge in California on June 23 vacated the Trump administration’s policy for federal agents to conduct arrests at immigration courthouses across the nation.
In a 71-page ruling, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts voided the policy, concluding that it was “arbitrary and capricious,” in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
“The policies discuss the benefits of courthouse arrests to the government’s enforcement of immigration laws but do not directly address the concerns raised in earlier guidance concerning chilling effects, safety risks, and impacts on hearing attendance,” the judge wrote.
The judge also said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) failed to provide “reasoned explanations” for making such arrests at immigration courthouses….