U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agents have been increasingly arresting migrants at immigration courts across the United States, and subjecting them to a process known as expedited removal after ICE has moved to dismiss migrants’ court cases. Expedited removal applies to those who have been residing in the country for less than two years. Many of the arrested migrants have no criminal records in the United States. ICE officials have defended the move as a necessary step to effectively implement law enforcement. They have been working with court staff to carry out these arrests in states including Arizona, California, Maryland, and New York.
The increase of courthouse arrests has raised concerns among immigration advocates and lawmakers. Legal professionals argue that arresting immigrants at courthouses discourages migrants from appearing in court, undermines due process, and weakens the integrity of the judicial system. Senator Ruben Gallego has criticized the ICE arrests in Arizona by claiming they are chaotic and don’t create a more secure country. He supports the idea that these arrests discourage attendance of court which makes the judicial immigration system less effective.
For questions about this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Gonzalez Olivieri LLC.
Reference:
“ICE Targets Migrants for Arrest at Courthouses as Trump Administration Intensifies Deportation Push.” CNN, 2 June 2025, https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/06/02/politics/ice-arrests-migrants-courthouse. Accessed 2 June 2025.
