Federal Judges Order Release International Students From ICE Custody Nationwide

Several federal judges have recently ruled against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining international students, citing violations of due process rights and ordering their release. One notable case involved Doğukan Günaydın, a University of Minnesota graduate student detained despite an immigration judge dismissing his case; a federal judge ordered his immediate release, criticizing the government's failure to justify continued detention. This ruling follows a broader pattern, with a nationwide bar preventing ICE from arresting or deporting international students whose immigration records were deleted without warning. Additionally, the federal government is now seeking to revisit and appeal several immigration cases involving college students accused of pro-Palestinian activism, aiming to detain them again despite prior court rulings favoring their release. These developments highlight ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement actions and judicial oversight, as well as concerns over students' legal protections and activism-related detentions.