{"id":2602304,"date":"2026-05-13T16:30:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-lawyer-blames-biden-judge-after-illegal-immigrant-release-controversy\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:31:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:31:01","slug":"dhs-lawyer-blames-biden-judge-after-illegal-immigrant-release-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-lawyer-blames-biden-judge-after-illegal-immigrant-release-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"DHS lawyer blames Biden judge after illegal immigrant release controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/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%2Fdhs-lawyer-blames-biden-judge-after-illegal-immigrant-release-controversy%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=2602304&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 Department of Homeland Security lawyer is renewing criticism of U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose after a Rhode Island courtroom dispute over the delayed release of an ICE detainee, Bryan Rafael Gomez, escalated into allegations of misconduct and overreach.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict began after DuBose ordered Gomez released from ICE custody on April 28, before the court had been told he was the subject of an international arrest warrant related to a homicide case.DHS argues the judge\u2019s order should not have bypassed the immigration court process for detention and bond decisions. Gomez was later ordered detained again once the warrant became known.<\/p>\n<p>DHS says the government publicly promoted the arrest warrant as justification for his custody, but DOJ attorneys reportedly did not disclose the related Dominican allegations to the court because the information was not authorized for litigation use at the time. During hearings, DuBose said the issue is about \u201ccandor\u201d to the court and that it needs full inquiry.<\/p>\n<p>DHS General Counsel James Percival, in a new Federalist op-ed, argues DuBose lacked authority to release Gomez and claims the judge created the conditions for the controversy by issuing the release rather than directing the matter to immigration proceedings.He also criticizes what he describes as intimidation or escalation by the court in response to public DHS criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, Chief Judge John McConnell appointed a special counsel to investigate possible attorney misconduct connected to the case.  <\/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 top <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a> lawyer in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a> is renewing criticism of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rhode-island\/\">Rhode Island<\/a> federal judge after a courtroom clash spiraled into allegations of government misconduct and judicial overreach last week.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/12\/because-she-ignored-the-law-an-activist-judge-freed-an-alleged-murderer\/\">sharply worded op-ed<\/a> published Tuesday in the <em>Federalist<\/em>, DHS General Counsel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/person\/james-percival\">James Percival<\/a> accused U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose of \u201cjudicial misconduct\u201d and argued that the fallout surrounding the temporary release of Dominican national Bryan Rafael Gomez was \u201centirely of Judge DuBose\u2019s own making.\u201d<\/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\/policy\/immigration\/4565745\/trump-ice-david-venturella-acting-director\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump picks longtime ICE official David Venturella as agency\u2019s acting director<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4565541\/judge-kilmar-abrego-garcia-liberia-deportation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge keeps block on Trump administration effort to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4561996\/mullin-namse-emanuel-cleaver-blasts-democrats-dhs-funding-opposition\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Mullin name-drops Emanuel Cleaver while blasting Democrats for DHS funding opposition<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Melissa DuBose (U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island); Bryan Rafael Gomez (DOJ)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The dispute stems from an April 28 decision by Dubose, an appointee of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a>, ordering Gomez released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before the court had been informed he was the subject of an international arrest warrant tied to a homicide investigation in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dominican-republic\/page\/2\/\">Dominican Republic<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Gomez, who illegally entered the United States in 2022 under the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/biden-administration\/\">Biden administration<\/a>, was arrested on assault and battery charges in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/massachusetts\/\">Massachusetts<\/a> earlier this year before being transferred into ICE custody after local authorities honored an immigration detainer.<\/p>\n<p>Despite sharply criticizing the government\u2019s conduct and later <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4556770\/rhode-island-judge-refers-doj-lawyer-investigation\/\">referring a DOJ lawyer for possible discipline<\/a>, DuBose ultimately reversed course last week and ordered Gomez detained again pending a new immigration bond hearing after becoming aware of his international arrest warrant.<\/p>\n<p>Percival is now speaking out on what he describes as the original sin in the case. \u201cThe court had no authority to release this <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >criminal illegal alien<\/a>,\u201d Percival wrote. \u201cThat decision belonged to an immigration judge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The courtroom controversy stems from an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.gov\/news\/releases\/ice-boston-arrests-5-foreign-fugitives-wanted-murder-month\">April 16 press release<\/a> ICE issued, announcing the arrest of \u201c5 foreign fugitives wanted for murder,\u201d including Gomez. DuBose said she did not see the press release prior to ordering Gomez\u2019s release.<\/p>\n<p>After DuBose ordered Gomez released in the subsequent days, DHS escalated the matter publicly with a second <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2026\/04\/30\/activist-biden-judge-releases-violent-criminal-illegal-alien-wanted-murder\">April 30 press release<\/a> titled \u201cActivist Biden Judge Releases Violent Criminal Illegal Alien Wanted for Murder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-forces-ice-to-release-illegal-alien-murder-suspect\/\" title=\"Federal Judge Forces ICE to ... Illegal Alien Murder Suspect\">activist judge appointed<\/a> by Joe Biden released this wanted murderer back into American communities,\u201d DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in the statement.<\/p>\n<p>But according to statements made during hearings last week, DOJ attorney Kevin M. Bolan had been instructed by ICE officials not to disclose the Dominican allegations to the court because Dominican authorities had not yet authorized the information for litigation use.<\/p>\n<p>The contradiction between the administration publicly promoting the warrant while withholding it from the court <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4556968\/rhode-island-illegal-immigrant-case-controversy-ill-timed-press-release\/\">became a focal point<\/a> during hearings last week, when DuBose raised concerns about the government\u2019s candor to the judiciary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the candor and the lack of candor to this court that has to be addressed,\u201d DuBose said during the hearing. \u201cAnd it has to be fully investigated, so we don\u2019t have anything like this happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DuBose subsequently referred Bolan for possible disciplinary action after he acknowledged withholding the information from the court while blaming ICE for directing him not to disclose it.<\/p>\n<p>Percival, however, argued the judge herself created the problem by ordering Gomez released instead of directing the matter to immigration court for a bond determination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that the court lacked the necessary information to review Mr. Gomez\u2019s custody status is the court\u2019s fault and only the court\u2019s fault,\u201d Percival wrote.<\/p>\n<p>He further accused DuBose of attempting to intimidate DHS officials for publicly criticizing her ruling, noting, \u201cThe first thing the court did was engage a spokesman who gave a statement on behalf of the court calling DHS\u2019s statements \u2018misleading and demonstrably false.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRather than allow this legitimate criticism, the judge has engaged in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dei-elevated-federal-judge-tried-to-free-an-alleged-murderer-because-shes-incompetent-at-basic-law\/\" title=\"DEI-Elevated Federal Judge Tried To Free An Alleged Murderer\">political public affairs battle<\/a> and intimidation campaign against DHS,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>DuBose had previously described the administration\u2019s public attacks via the DHS press release as \u201cdangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Art Arthur, a former immigration judge and resident fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, previously said that the case exposed both a messaging breakdown inside DHS and a deeper procedural dispute over whether the matter should have been handled by an immigration judge rather than a federal district court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf certain information is so sensitive it can\u2019t be shared with a court, it likely shouldn\u2019t be highlighted in a press release, either,\u201d Arthur <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cis.org\/Arthur\/ICE-Screws-Case-Activist-Biden-Judge-Rhode-Island\">wrote in an analysis<\/a> about the case on May 4.<\/p>\n<p>But Arthur also told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>on Tuesday that immigration law already provides a mechanism for bond determinations and appeals through the immigration court system, which he suggested complicates DuBose\u2019s decision to order Gomez released outright.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a procedure for immigration judges to grant bond, and there\u2019s a procedure to appeal denials of bond,\u201d Arthur told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cThe question becomes, in lieu of habeas, why didn\u2019t they use one of those procedures instead?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Arthur added that Percival\u2019s argument that DuBose lacked authority to release Gomez was \u201carguable,\u201d though he acknowledged he did not necessarily disagree with it.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Chief Judge John McConnell, an appointee of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama<\/a> who has also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3453259\/trump-funding-case-judge-john-mcconnell-nonprofit-ties-checkered-past\/\">drawn the ire of the Trump administration<\/a>, escalated the matter by appointing Roger Williams University School of Law professor Niki Kuckes as special counsel to investigate possible attorney misconduct tied to the case.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4556968\/rhode-island-illegal-immigrant-case-controversy-ill-timed-press-release\/\">ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CASE SPIRALS INTO CONTROVERSY AFTER ILL-TIME PRESS RELEASE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>McConnell authorized Kuckes, a legal ethics expert and former clerk to late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to review court filings, request documents, conduct interviews, and provide recommendations on whether further disciplinary proceedings are warranted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat exactly is the special counsel investigating?\u201d Percival asked rhetorically in his op-ed. \u201cApparently, it is the fact that a co-equal branch of government dares to publicly criticize Judge DuBose.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DHS lawyer Percival renews criticism of Rhode Island judge after courtroom 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