FILE PHOTO: People take part in a protest in solidarity with Minneapolis and against U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in New York City, U.S., January 23, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A California federal judge hit the Trump administration with a scathing order to notify thousands of detained immigrants nationwide that they can join a lawsuit demanding either a hearing or immediate release.
Judge Sunshine S. Sykes didn't hold back, accusing the government of widespread flouting of court orders and unleashing blistering language about the administration's immigration enforcement crackdown, The New York Times reported.
If the order takes effect, it could deliver a significant blow to the administration's mass deportation push, creating a "major procedural roadblock," the Times noted.
Sykes criticized the executive branch in searing terms, referring to its "terror against noncitizens," "unlawful, wanton acts," and "violence on its own citizens" in connection with the shooting deaths of two Minnesotans.
The Trump administration fired back, with a Homeland Security spokesman slamming "judicial activists," insisting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement "has the law and the facts on its side." DHS claimed it "adheres to all court decisions until it ultimately gets them shot down by the highest court in the land."
The judge went further, branding administration officials as "shameless" for claiming they weren't bound by her earlier ruling declaring the detention policy illegal. She vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling entirely, accusing the government of having "far crossed the boundaries of constitutional conduct."
Within a week, the government must notify all detained immigrants in languages they understand and provide phone access to attorneys within one hour, potentially affecting tens of thousands.
The government plans to appeal.