In The 2018-Era Chicago Class Action, Noemites Are Ordered To Both Promptly Release Detainees, And Catalog Those Still To Be Released

Once again, the federal courts in Chicago had declared these "snatch and grab" ICE ops lawless (and ultimately, in a class action settlement that Trump signed off on!), during Trump 1.0 -- in 2018-2020.

Yet, here in Tangerine 2.0, ICE is STILL failing to obtain Art. III warrants -- before arresting people. . . and that is plainly unlawful. And it wins the detainees immediate release, either via habeas, or class action settlement orders -- in Chicago, and surrounding 'burbs.

Here's the latest on all that from the able Judge Cummings, in Case 18-cv-3757 this morning, setting various deadlines (some for as early as tomorrow) -- do read it all, but here's a bit:

. . .Defendants are ordered to lift all conditions of release and to refund bond for any individuals who have been previously released pursuant to the Decree so that these individuals are released on their own recognizance without bond or conditions of release as required by Section IV(E)(2) of the Decree. . . .

For the reasons stated on the record, the Broadcast Statement of Policy, (Dckt. #155-1 at 18-20), remains in effect. No later than February 18, 2026, defendants shall re-circulate the Broadcast Statement of Policy to all ICE agents nationwide by email and they shall advise the agents that the Broadcast remains in effect as the ICE policy governing warrantless arrests until further notification by DHS and ICE. . . .

In their February 20, 2026 certification, defendants are further ordered to provide more complete answers to the following questions that were posed to defense counsel during the February 13, 2026 hearing on plaintiffs’ motions to enforce: (1) state whether ICE agents and Customs and Border Protection agents worked together in mixed teams to effectuate individual arrests of foreign nationals during Operation Midway Blitz; (2) state whether ICE has knowledge of a foreign national’s “A number” at the time ICE issues a Notice to Appear in conjunction with an I-200 warrant to effectuate a targeted arrest of that foreign national; and (3) state whether ICE has probable cause to believe that a foreign national is removable from the United States at the time ICE issues an I-200 warrant to effectuate the arrest of that foreign national. . . .

These people. How do they sleep at night? How?! Onward, just the same. . . [finally over a bout of food poisoning. Whew.]

नमस्ते