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Federal Appeals Court Upholds Trump Administration’s Detention Policy Impacting Immigrants in Gulf States
The Trump administration claimed a rare court victory for its embattled immigration detention policy when an appeals court, covering three states with large detention centers, agreed to stay court rulings that freed three Texas immigrants during an appeal. The 5th…
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Key points
- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy affecting immigrants in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
- The ruling stays previous court decisions that had released immigrants, setting a hearing for September 24.
- The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of this policy in its upcoming term.
NewsWK — A recent ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has provided a significant legal victory for the Trump administration regarding its immigration detention policy. This ruling stays previous decisions from Texas courts that had released three immigrants without criminal records, who had entered the U.S. illegally years ago. The appeals court’s decision affects Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, where many immigrants are detained.
The court’s ruling, issued on July 21, will be followed by a hearing scheduled for September 24. Brett Shumate, a U.S. assistant attorney general, remarked that the ruling signifies that individuals illegally in the U.S. do not possess a constitutional right to remain free during their deportation proceedings. However, this interpretation has been met with skepticism from immigration advocates. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council criticized the ruling as lacking a solid foundation, questioning its precedential value.
The Trump administration’s detention policy, established in a July 2025 memo, mandates the detention of individuals who cross the border illegally without the possibility of bond, regardless of the time since their arrival or their asylum requests. This policy aims to facilitate the removal of one million immigrants annually, including deportations and voluntary returns.
Statistics from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicate that around 2,000 detainees are released monthly through court-ordered bond hearings. However, numerous federal judges, including those appointed by Trump, have opposed the mandatory detention policy. The U.S. Supreme Court is anticipated to address the legality of this policy in its upcoming October term, as courts have exhibited varying responses to it across the country.
In California, for instance, a class action ruling deemed the policy unconstitutional, leading to mandated bond hearings, but this ruling is not uniformly applicable nationwide. Similar rulings have emerged from other states, while some courts have upheld the Trump administration’s stance, setting the stage for potential Supreme Court deliberation in the fall.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Based on reporting by Tim Henderson originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.
