Four illegal aliens with violent criminal histories were released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this week after a federal judge in Louisiana ruled their detention unconstitutional.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the men, all with standing deportation orders, were freed because their home countries, including Cuba and Ethiopia, were unlikely to accept their return.
U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, wrote that prolonged detention without a realistic prospect of deportation violated the men’s constitutional rights.
He cited medical conditions, family obligations, and ongoing employment, asserting that their criminal records were “irrelevant” to the legal question of unlawful detention.
The judge emphasized that the length of detention prevented the men from arranging care for dependents, paying bills, or maintaining housing.
The four men include Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor; Luis Gaston-Sanchez, a Cuban convicted of homicide, assault, and robbery; Ricardo Blanco Chomat, a Cuban convicted of homicide, kidnapping, and drug offenses; and Francisco Rodriguez-Romero, a Cuban convicted of homicide and weapons violations.
Each had final orders of removal spanning years, with some dating back decades.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized the ruling, calling it “inexcusably reckless” and warning it could lead to “the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims.”
She noted that under the Trump administration, illegal aliens with final removal orders were actively arrested and deported, contrasting what she described as a lenient approach under the current ruling.
The men had been held at Louisiana Lockup, a facility ICE leases at Angola Prison, according to the Washington Times.
Judge deGravelles noted Rodriguez-Romero’s Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diagnoses, Chomat’s role caring for a disabled sibling, and the ongoing employment of Gaston-Sanchez and Mohammed.
He said these personal circumstances outweighed the government’s interest in indefinite detention.
The releases underscore a broader legal battle over ICE detention policies.
The 2001 Supreme Court ruling in Zadvydas v. Davis limits detention to six months unless deportation is reasonably foreseeable.
Courts have increasingly sided with immigrants on habeas corpus claims, challenging DHS’s authority to detain even convicted criminal aliens for extended periods.
Legal experts say the ruling could set a precedent affecting future cases and immigration enforcement nationwide.
Supporters of strict enforcement argue the ruling exposes a loophole that endangers public safety.
“These are individuals with violent criminal records who had final removal orders,” McLaughlin said. “Releasing them undermines law enforcement efforts and puts communities at risk.”
Immigrant rights groups defended the releases, citing constitutional protections and humane treatment.
According to BizPac Review, Lydia Wright of Rights Behind Bars and Bridget Pranzatelli of the National Immigration Project assisted the men post-release, helping them secure temporary shelter, clothing, and basic necessities.
The case is likely to intensify debate over immigration enforcement, judicial discretion, and the balance between constitutional rights and public safety.
DHS said it is working “rapidly and overtime” to remove illegal aliens with final orders to their countries of origin.
Observers note the ruling may influence legal interpretations of detention limits, executive authority, and the treatment of criminal aliens in U.S. custody.
