A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release on bond of hundreds of undocumented migrants detained during immigration raids in Chicago under the Trump administration’s crackdown.
District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ruled that detainees not deemed security threats should be released while awaiting their immigration case outcomes. The order covers migrants arrested without probable cause in warrantless operations, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The judge authorised their release on $1,500 bond, with monitoring measures such as electronic ankle bracelets.
These detainees were part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” a series of raids targeting migrants in the Chicago area. Many have already been deported or have agreed to leave voluntarily.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticised the ruling on X, calling the judge an “activist” and warning that releasing 615 migrants into communities puts American lives at risk.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit by the National Immigrant Justice Centre and the American Civil Liberties Union, claiming the arrests were unlawful.
This decision marks another obstacle to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city.
Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago to assist with crime and immigration control, but courts have blocked this move. The administration recently asked the Supreme Court to overturn rulings preventing troop deployment.
While Trump successfully sent National Guard forces to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, his efforts in Portland and Chicago remain stalled by legal challenges.
