Systematic Elimination of Bond Hearings and Indefinite Immigration Detention
An ICE directive and BIA precedential decision eliminated bond hearings for millions of immigrants, creating a system of indefinite detention without judicial review. 71.7% of the 57,861 ICE detainees had no criminal convictions.
- On July 8, 2025, Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons issued a memo declaring that immigrants who entered without inspection are no longer eligible for bond hearings.
- On September 5, 2025, the BIA ruled in Matter of Yajure Hurtado that immigration judges lack authority to conduct bond hearings for anyone present 'without admission' -- even those who have lived in the US for decades.
- Entry without inspection was the charge in over 1 million of the 1.76 million immigration court cases initiated in FY 2024.