Hundreds sue over prolonged detention
Hundreds of immigration detainees in New Mexico filed petitions challenging prolonged detention without bond hearings, spotlighting a widening backlog and renewed litigation on mandatory detention and bond access. (santafenewmexican.com)
Federal habeas dockets in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico list 679 total habeas cases with 601 active cases as tracked online, reflecting the surge of immigration-related petitions in the district. (habeasdockets.org ) U.S. District Judge Kea W. Riggs granted habeas relief in Gao v. Baca (No. 2:26‑cv‑00472), ordering respondents to provide an individualized bond hearing within seven days for a petitioner held at the Otero County Processing Center. (justia.com ) Those New Mexico opinions repeatedly reference the Board of Immigration Appeals decision Matter of Yajure Hurtado (Sept. 5, 2025) and cite Munoz Teran v. Bondi (D.N.M. Jan. 21, 2026) in disputes over the reach of mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. §1225(b). (justia.com justia.com ) Reporting from the Albuquerque Journal documents individual litigation trends on the ground, noting detainees such as Sergei Izbitski—picked up June 9 and transported to the Torrance County Detention Facility—among "more than 100" people arrested and held in New Mexico who have filed petitions. (abqjournal.com ) Local advocacy reporting shows New Mexico’s habeas filings jumped from one recorded claim in 2024 to 104 petitions in 2025, mirroring a national rise—immigrant habeas petitions increased roughly twentyfold to more than 9,200 nationwide—creating the backlog now clogging D.N.M. dockets. (nmindepth.com propublica.org ) A coalition of civil‑rights groups submitted an urgent complaint to the Department of Homeland Security after ICE’s March enforcement actions in New Mexico that arrested 48 residents, a development advocates say exacerbates notice, counsel access, and due‑process concerns central to the wave of habeas litigation. (aclu-nm.org )
