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Original Date Announced
February 5, 2026U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw ordered ICE to return three families/class members to the U.S. after ICE removed them in violation of its settlement agreement in Ms. L. v. ICE. Ms. L. was a challenge to family separation during the first Trump administration. Judge Sabraw found that ICE wrongfully removed the three mothers and their minor children, some of whom were U.S. citizens or had parole status, when the agency instructed them to appear at check-in appointments with their passports, took them into custody, and removed them shortly after.
The court found that it has the authority to order the return of wrongfully removed noncitizens and ordered the government to bear the cost of return given the government's "lies, deception, and coercion" in effectuating the removals. The court also ordered ICE to provide plaintiffs' counsel with the basis for detention of several members of the Ms. L. class and their qualifying family. Ms. L. v. ICE, No. 3:18-cv-00428 (S.D. Cal.).
Trump 2.0 [ID #2197]
**Link to case here. Our litigation entries generally report only the initial complaint and any major substantive filings or decisions. For additional information, CourtListener provides access to PACER and all available pleadings. Other sites that track litigation in more detail or organize cases by topic include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Just Security**
2026.02.05 Order Granting Motion to Return Removed Class Members - Ms. L. v. ICEEffective Date
February 5, 2026Current Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: AdjudicationSubject Matter: EnforcementAssociated or Derivative Policies
- July 10, 2018 DHS issues a four-step process for family reunification to comply with court order
- March 24, 2025 Salvadoran man granted withholding of removal mistakenly deported to El Salvador
- April 11, 2025 Trump administration allows contract with Acacia Center for Justice, provider of legal services for unaccompanied migrant children, to expire
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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