A federal court has mandated immigration authorities to conduct a bond hearing for an Indian national held in Michigan. The court ruled that the detainee’s prolonged custody without a bond hearing breaches immigration laws and the US Constitution.
The US District Judge Jane M. Beckering of the Western District of Michigan granted a petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by Sumit Tulsibhai Patel. Patel, detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, challenged the legality of his detention and requested emergency relief.
Patel, who entered the US without inspection in 2021, was encountered by Department of Homeland Security agents in October 2021. Initially held by ICE, he was released on a $40,000 bond in November 2021 and resided in Chicago, Illinois. However, in October 2025, Patel was apprehended by ICE again while he was outside.
The court dismissed the government’s argument of Patel being subject to mandatory detention, citing a different section of immigration law. This provision allows for release on bond and necessitates an individualized hearing. Additionally, the court rejected the notion that Patel had to exhaust administrative remedies before seeking a bond hearing through the immigration court system.
Regarding constitutional concerns, the court found that detaining Patel without a bond hearing violated due process. The judge emphasized that mere notice of charges, access to counsel, and scheduled immigration hearings were insufficient to justify continued custody without a bond determination. The court did not delve into Patel’s other claims, asserting that relief was justified based on these grounds alone.
