Asylum detentions spike
U.S. enforcement has tightened: a Second Circuit order forced the BIA to rethink a “material support” asylum denial, a federal judge ordered a Minneapolis man and his child released after 50 days of unlawful detention, ICE arrests at San Francisco check‑ins have resumed, and a judge temporarily preserved TPS for Somalis — all in the last 48 hours, signaling heightened judicial scrutiny amid tougher enforcement ordered reported reported reported.
Sufiyan v. Bondi (No. 22‑6392), decided March 12, 2026, directed the Second Circuit to remand for the BIA to make a “but‑for” merits determination before invoking the INA material‑support bar. law.justia.com The panel’s reasoning—preserving access to DHS waiver relief for Mohamed Irshan Mohamed Sufiyan—was explained in the court’s opinion and accompanying commentary. casemine.com U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez ordered the release of Elvis Joel Tipan Echeverria by 5 p.m. on March 15, finding no warrant supported his Jan. 22 arrest. kare11.com A separate report noted the court found Echeverria had been held unlawfully for roughly 50 days before this order. politomix.com Mission Local reported that ICE arrests at San Francisco check‑ins have resumed after an effective pause of about six weeks, with at least three immigration reporters confirming new detentions. missionlocal.org Local reporting from June 2025 showed prior operations at SF check‑ins detained at least 15 people, including a child as young as three, illustrating the pattern advocates warned about. nbcbayarea.com A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered an administrative stay on March 13, 2026, pausing the planned termination of Somalia’s TPS set to take effect March 17 at 11:59 p.m. and preserving TPS benefits pending briefing. muslimadvocates.org Plaintiffs African Communities Together and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans joined four Somali community members in the emergency challenge; their counsel included Muslim Advocates and allied legal groups. muslimadvocates.org
