Sixth Circuit Rejects Trump Administration's Mandatory Detention Policy for Long-Term Immigrants

A federal appellate court panel ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration cannot detain long-term immigrant residents without bond hearings. The Sixth Circuit decision in Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft held that noncitizens who entered without inspection but have lived in the U.S. for years have stronger constitutional protections than those detained at the border and must be afforded due process through bond hearings. The ruling upheld lower court decisions granting habeas petitions and rejected the administration's expanded interpretation of mandatory detention authority under policies implemented in summer 2025. This decision affects thousands of detainees in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and represents the latest judicial rebuke to the administration's immigration enforcement crackdown.