Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 26: The administration of Donald Trump has acknowledged a “material mistake” in a court filing related to immigration enforcement tactics, admitting it wrongly relied on an internal memo to justify arrests at immigration courthouses.

Federal prosecutors informed the court that they had cited a document titled “2025 ICE Guidance” to defend the deployment of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at courthouses, where several immigrants attending hearings were detained.

However, the US Department of Justice later clarified that the memo “does not and has never applied” to enforcement actions in or near immigration courts.

The development came during an ongoing legal challenge filed by immigrant rights groups opposing the practice of arresting individuals at mandated court appearances.

Reacting to the disclosure, Amy Belsher of the New York Civil Liberties Union described it as a “shocking revelation,” alleging misuse of authority and lack of justification for such arrests.

The government told the court that the error was identified after receiving an internal ICE email clarifying that the guidance did not apply to courts under the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Prosecutors apologised for the mistake, attributing it to an “agency attorney error.”

The case is being heard by US District Judge Kevin Castel, who had earlier ruled that ICE guidance permitted arrests near immigration courts. Following the latest admission, the court’s earlier opinion and related arguments may now be reconsidered.

Despite withdrawing portions of its legal arguments, the government maintained that courthouse arrests do not violate legal protections.

The controversial tactic has drawn criticism in recent months, with cases such as that of a New York student detained after a routine hearing intensifying debate over immigration enforcement practices in the United States.