{"id":2596203,"date":"2026-04-28T15:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/appeals-creates-national-split-after-court-rejects-trump-migrant-detention-policy\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:07:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:07:43","slug":"appeals-creates-national-split-after-court-rejects-trump-migrant-detention-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/appeals-creates-national-split-after-court-rejects-trump-migrant-detention-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Appeals creates national split after court rejects Trump migrant detention policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fappeals-creates-national-split-after-court-rejects-trump-migrant-detention-policy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2596203&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/second-amendment-activists-prevail-in-federal-court\/\" title=\"Second Amendment Activists Prevail in Federal ...\u00a0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-is-fast-tracking-sidney-powells-request-for-a-forensic-exam-of-dominion-voting-machines\/\" title=\"Federal ... Is Fast-Tracking Sidney Powell\u2019s Request For A Forensic Exam Of Dominion Voting Machines\">federal appeals court<\/a> ruled<\/a> against the Trump administration\u2019s effort to expand mandatory detention rules for noncitizens arrested inside the United States. In a 61-page decision, the U.S.Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held that the administration\u2019s interpretation of immigration law conflicts with the statute\u2019s text and long-standing practice, and would effectively allow broad detention without bond hearings-raising serious constitutional concerns.<\/p>\n<p>The case centered on Ricardo Aparecido barbosa da Cunha, a Brazilian national who had been living in the country illegally for about two decades before his arrest. after a lower court ordered a habeas remedy, he was granted a bond hearing and released. The administration argued that he should have been subject to mandatory detention under a provision for people \u201cseeking admission,\u201d even though he was not trying to enter the country at the time of arrest. The appeals court rejected that argument,explaining that someone already inside shouldn\u2019t be treated as \u201cseeking admission\u201d after they\u2019ve been found after a long period in the U.S., using an analogy about baseball entry.<\/p>\n<p>The ruling deepens a split among federal appeals courts: the 5th and 8th Circuits have supported the administration\u2019s approach, while the 7th Circuit has expressed doubts, making Supreme Court review more likely. A concurring judge also questioned how Congress could have authorized detention for millions without courts recognizing it for decades, pointing to the Supreme Court\u2019s 2018 decision in *Jennings v. Rodriguez*.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a>\u2019s attempt to expand mandatory detention for noncitizens arrested inside the United States, escalating a legal clash that is increasingly likely to be decided by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.ca2.bcc6ad69-ae80-430d-9cdb-5f829158d18c\/gov.uscourts.ca2.bcc6ad69-ae80-430d-9cdb-5f829158d18c.78.0.pdf\">61-page ruling<\/a> from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, a three-judge panel concluded the administration\u2019s interpretation of immigration law breaks from both the statute\u2019s language and decades of consistent practice. Writing for the majority, Judge Joseph Bianco said the policy would effectively authorize sweeping detention without bond hearings for a broad class of people already living in the country.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4546081\/virginia-supreme-court-keeps-block-on-redistricting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Virginia Supreme Court keeps block on redistricting while it weighs new congressional map\u2019s fate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4546002\/appeals-court-rejects-trump-migrant-detention-policy-creates-national-split\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Appeals court rejects Trump migrant detention policy, creating national split<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4546191\/james-comey-indicted-second-time-report\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>James Comey indicted for a second time: Report<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Even if the government\u2019s reading were legally plausible, Bianco said, courts should reject it to avoid triggering serious constitutional concerns tied to prolonged detention without individualized review. Bianco was appointed to the appeals court by President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> during his first term.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The decision adds to a growing divide among federal appeals courts. The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.ca5.227192\/gov.uscourts.ca5.227192.260.2.pdf\">5th<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4524153\/trump-mandatory-detention-court-win-issue-toward-supreme-court\/\">8th circuits<\/a> have backed the administration\u2019s approach, while judges on the 7th Circuit have expressed doubts, creating a clear pathway for high court review.<\/p>\n<p>At the center of the dispute at the 2nd Circuit is Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha, a Brazilian national who had lived illegally in the United States for about 20 years before his arrest by immigration authorities. After a lower court granted his habeas petition, he received a bond hearing and was released. The government acknowledged he posed no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-google-removes-parler-from-app-store-amid-reports-that-trump-is-joining-the-platform\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Google Removes Parler From App Store Amid Reports That ... is Joining the Platform\">public safety threat<\/a> and was not a flight risk.<\/p>\n<p>For years, illegal immigrants in that position \u2014 arrested within the country rather than at the border \u2014 were typically eligible to request release while their immigration cases proceeded. Trump has shifted course from that standard, arguing that such individuals fall under a provision requiring detention for those \u201cseeking admission,\u201d even if they have long resided in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The 2nd Circuit disputed that framing. Bianco wrote that the statute does not apply to someone like Barbosa da Cunha, who was not attempting lawful entry at the time of his arrest. To illustrate the point, he compared the government\u2019s theory to treating someone who sneaks into a baseball game but is able to evade security until the 7th inning the same as a fan attempting to enter the game at the stadium entrance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government claims that mandatory detention must continue regardless of how long removal proceedings take,\u201d Bianco wrote, adding that the law does not support that outcome.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf someone sneaks into Yankee Stadium at the start of the game with no ticket for admission (and no intention of ever paying) and he is later found by security in a seat in the seventh inning, no one would consider that fan to be \u2018seeking admission\u2019 to the game,\u201d Bianco wrote. <\/p>\n<p>In essence, the majority on the panel acknowledged that the baseball fan in the metaphor still entered illegally, yet clarified that it is not correct to suggest that they are still \u201cseeking admission\u201d once they are inside the venue. For this reason, a person with a pending asylum application who was only arrested after an indefinite period of residing in the U.S. should be eligible to seek release on bond, the court held.<\/p>\n<p>The opinion also noted that while a handful of appellate courts have sided with the administration, most <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal trial courts examining<\/a> the issue have ruled the opposite way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4524153\/trump-mandatory-detention-court-win-issue-toward-supreme-court\/\">TRUMP\u2019S MANDATORY DETENTION POLICY GETS COURT VICTORY AS IMMIGRATION ISSUE HEADS TOWARD SUPREME COURT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a concurring opinion, Judge <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-clinton\/\">Jos\u00e9 Cabranes<\/a>, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, questioned the idea that Congress quietly authorized detention for millions of long-settled noncitizens without courts or policymakers recognizing it for decades. He pointed to the Supreme Court\u2019s 2018 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2017\/15-1204\">decision<\/a> in <em>Jennings v. Rodriguez<\/em>, written by Chief Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/jroberts\/\">John Roberts<\/a>, as reinforcing the idea that at least some individuals already inside the country remain eligible for bond hearings.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Alison Nathan, an appointee of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a>, joined the panel, which ruled in favor of Barbosa da Cunha. The Brazilian national\u2019s legal team includes attorneys affiliated with the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/aclu\/\">American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> Foundation and the New York Civil Liberties Union.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A federal appeals court rejected Trump\u2019s bid to expand detention<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2596204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-collage-jkwxwdolr-1771604450175-e1771644484709.jpg?1771627209&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3813,78749,32275,3634,32515],"class_list":["post-2596203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-immigration","tag-policy-appeals","tag-supreme-court","tag-trump","tag-us-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-collage-jkwxwdolr-1771604450175-e1771644484709.jpg?1771627209&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2596203"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2596207,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596203\/revisions\/2596207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2596204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2596203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2596203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2596203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}