Amid heightened immigration enforcement under the new administration, California federal judges have stepped in decisively, freeing three Indian nationals from ICE detention. The orders emphasize that re-arrests demand adherence to due process—notice, hearings, and evidence—not snap decisions.
This week’s verdicts in distinct cases reveal a pattern: individuals previously cleared for release, living compliantly, suddenly back in cuffs. It’s a flashpoint in the Trump-era policy pivot tightening borders and targeting long-term residents.
Spotlight on Harmeet S., a 21-year-old who entered in August 2022. Released as a minor, he thrived in DHS’s monitoring program—no violations, no rap sheet. November 2025 check-in turned nightmare: detained sans notice, over 30 days without bond review. Judge Troy L. Nunley invoked the Fifth Amendment, ordering release and future procedural hurdles for ICE.
Echoing this, Sawan K. fled to the U.S. in September 2024 from political peril. Asylum pending, released, check-ins honored—until a routine 2025 visit led to four months’ unlawful hold. Nunley’s gavel fell again.
In Southern California, Amit’s habeas win came via Judge Janice L. Sammartino. Since 2022 entry, released, employed, asylum filer with spotless record—arrested curbside en route to work in 2025. The court rejected ICE’s tactics.
These outcomes aren’t just personal triumphs; they’re constitutional checkpoints. They challenge aggressive enforcement, demanding proof of danger or flight before shackles. For India’s diaspora in America—over 4 million strong—these rulings offer a beacon of fairness in turbulent times, likely spurring more legal challenges.