Judges, deaths spotlight detention
Recent reporting shows judges issued more than 7,000 rulings finding ICE failed to prove detained migrants were threats, and that deaths in U.S. immigration custody hit a record — data activists say underline systemic failures in detention and due process. The coverage links courtroom decisions to urgent calls for oversight and care reforms. ( )
A Reuters review found at least 4,421 federal cases since October in which judges ruled ICE was detaining people unlawfully, a tally drawn from more than 20,200 habeas petitions filed nationwide. (Reuters/US News: ) Minneapolis Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz counted roughly 96 court orders ICE violated in January 2026 and wrote that the agency had “likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” (Politico: ) ICE reported 31 detainee deaths in 2025, the highest annual total in more than 20 years, and the agency acknowledged at least 11 deaths between January and early March 2026. (Reuters/US News: ) Independent reporting and AP/NPR aggregations show 23 deaths in custody since October alone, a toll that journalists and advocates tie to a detention population that recently approached roughly 68,000 people. (OPB/NPR: ) A March 11 South Burlington enforcement operation led to three detentions and to federal hearings that produced an immediate release for 31‑year‑old Jisella Johana Patin Patin, whom U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford concluded had been detained without constitutional justification. (Vermont Public: ) State advocacy and legal capacity in Vermont have been bolstered this year: the ACLU of Vermont and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project joined the Habeas Project of New England in February to support litigation for detainees, and VAAP runs an ICE activity tracker and rapid-response detention-defense resources for the state. (WAMC: ) (VAAP: ) Vermont elected officials and law enforcement have publicly sparred over the South Burlington raid—Gov. Phil Scott criticized ICE tactics and the Legislature has held hearings while state and local police defended their role in preventing injuries during the operation. (VTDigger: ) (Burlington Free Press: )
