A US federal judge has determined that immigration authorities breached due process by detaining an Indian national, Varun Varun, without a bond hearing. The court has instructed the government to conduct a prompt bond hearing or release Varun from custody. Varun, an Indian citizen, is currently held at the North Lake Processing Center in Michigan.
Varun, who was detained on December 8, 2025, while working as a truck driver, has been in custody without the opportunity to request bond or conditional release. Court records reveal that Varun entered the US in April 2023 near San Luis, Arizona, without formal admission or parole. He was issued a Notice to Appear the following day, charged with inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
In response to his detention, Varun filed a habeas petition challenging the legality of his confinement, arguing that ICE incorrectly applied mandatory detention rules. The court ruled in Varun’s favor, stating that he falls under a different section of immigration law that allows for release on bond. Judge Beckering emphasized that holding Varun under mandatory detention was unlawful and violated his Fifth Amendment rights.
The judge’s decision highlights a series of federal court rulings scrutinizing ICE’s use of mandatory detention, particularly concerning noncitizens previously residing in the US.
