Lawyers for ICE gave false information to justify detaining thousands, filings reveal

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/26/ice-lawyers-justify-detaining-on-false-information

Lawyers for ICE provided false information to justify arresting and detaining thousands of people who had attended immigration courts, according to newly filed court documents.

Federal prosecutors said that lawyers for ICE acknowledged that an agency memo from May of last year gave no authorization for the arrests, court documents show, despite previously citing it to justify the arrests.

The revelation was included in filings by the office of Jay Clayton, a US federal attorney, in a lawsuit brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, first reported on by the New York Daily News.

The lawsuit is challenging ICE’s practice of targeting people seeking to gain legal status in the US as they leave immigration courts. Agents have arrested thousands of people after they attended hearings, preventing them from further pursuing their cases.

[cbabe]

1. Any news on the wrongfully arrested?

[malaise]

2. Searching for more

Nothing yet

[cbabe]

3. Thanks.

[malaise]

4. Hmmmmmmm

This poor guy died

[sakabatou]

5. Here's hoping the lawyers helping ICE get their licenses pulled

[malaise]

6. THIS

Last edited Thu Mar 26, 2026, 02:40 PM - Edit history (1)

I’m expecting lots of scumbags will be disbarred.

[ShazzieB]

12. Hell yes.

If ANY lawyers ever needed to be disbarred, it's these ass clowns.

[Bob_in_VA]

14. Not me

I want to see them in jail for perjury. After they get out will be plenty of time to disbar them... if being found guilty of perjury hasn't already done the trick. IANAL but if I remember correctly, as a member of the court - which all lawyers are - certain crimes committed by lawyers, among them perjury, are serious grounds for disbarment.

[malaise]

16. That too

Rec

[Passages]

7. Highly recommend.

I feel ill when I read what they have done.

[flvegan]

8. Grounds for disbarment, and should be moved upon

as quickly as possible if true.

[UTUSN]

9. K&R

[dlk]

10. Until large numbers of attorneys are disbarred for intentionally breaking the law

And violating their oaths as “officers of the court,” it will only get worse.

We need accountability now, more than ever.

[Beartracks]

11. Almost like they were falsifying records just to meet quotas.

[OldBaldy1701E]

13. So, they lied.

Federal prosecutors said that lawyers for ICE acknowledged that an agency memo from May of last year gave no authorization for the arrests, court documents show, despite previously citing it to justify the arrests.

And, they admit it.

Has anyone been held in contempt? Has anyone lost their license?

Have any of them suffered anything yet?

No?

Then...

[GiqueCee]

15. One would think...

... that playing fast and loose with the judge in court would warrant some kind of consequences. Of course prosecutors literally get away with murder when they knowingly convict an innocent person just to jack their numbers up. And Republicans have packed the courts with partisan judges, so they'll probably get away with this, too.