ICE ends possibility of bond hearings for millions of undocumented immigrants

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration recently announced that immigrants who arrived in the United States illegally are no longer eligible for a bond hearing as they fight deportation proceedings in court.

In a July 8 memo, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd M. Lyons instructed officers that such immigrants should be detained "for the duration of their removal proceedings," according to a report by The Washington Post. Such proceedings can take months or even years.

Legal experts say the policy will affect millions of immigrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border over the past few decades. Such immigrants have typically been allowed to request a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

The Trump Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have "revisited its legal position on detention and release authorities," according to the memo, and determined that such immigrants should not be released from ICE custody. In rare exceptions, immigrants may be released on parole; however, such a decision will be made by an immigration officer, not a judge.

U.S. immigration law states that unauthorized immigrants "shall be detained" after they are arrested. However, detention has not typically been used when the immigrant has been a longtime resident.