Federal court orders ICE detainee’s immediate release after habeas filing

A U.S. District Court in California ordered the immediate release of a man held by ICE after finding he was re-detained without notice or a hearing. The ruling, secured by Jorge Muñoz Law Firm, forced ICE to return his property and follow due process before any future enforcement action.

Why it matters: - The ruling shows a federal judge can order immediate release, not just a bond hearing, when ICE detention is found unlawful. - The case strengthens due process arguments for immigrants challenging re-detention without notice or a hearing. - The client returned home to his family after nearly two months in ICE custody.

What happened: - The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted a habeas corpus petition on Aug. 21, 2026, in Case No. 5:26-cv-03927-ACCV. - The petition was filed by Jorge Muñoz of Jorge Munoz Law Firm on behalf of an ICE detainee. - The court ordered immediate release instead of a bond hearing. - ICE re-detained the client at his home on June 27, 2026, without prior notice or a hearing. - ICE then held him at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California. - Muñoz filed the habeas petition on July 14 to challenge the government’s authority to keep him in custody.

The details: - Muñoz said the client entered the United States in 2022 through parole, a temporary immigration process. - The client complied with parole conditions for more than three years while pursuing an asylum claim. - Muñoz said the client had a valid work permit, no criminal record and a pending asylum case. - The government argued the client was entitled only to a bond hearing under a California class-action judgment. - A bond hearing would have allowed an immigration judge to decide whether release on bond was appropriate, but it would not have guaranteed release. - The court rejected the government’s position. - Muñoz said the court found that re-detaining the client without notice or a hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. - The court ordered ICE to return the client’s property. - The court also required ICE to certify compliance within three days. - The court directed ICE to observe due process requirements in any future enforcement action involving the client. - After the release, the firm obtained a change of venue that moved the client’s removal case from the Adelanto detained docket to the non-detained Los Angeles Immigration Court. - The client’s asylum application remains pending.

Between the lines: - The case highlights a narrower question in immigration detention fights: whether a person should get a bond hearing or immediate release when the detention itself is unlawful. - The court’s order suggests procedural defects, not just the merits of the immigration case, can determine the remedy. - The decision may matter for other detainees facing re-detention after prior release or parole.

What’s next: - Muñoz continues to represent the client in his pending asylum case. - Any future enforcement action involving the client must follow the court’s due process requirements. - Jorge Munoz Law Firm is available for representation or media inquiries involving immigration detention, deportation defense and federal immigration litigation.

The bottom line: - A federal court in California ordered ICE to release a detainee immediately after finding the agency violated due process by re-detaining him without notice or a hearing.