NEWARK, NJ – A federal judge has denied a petition for release filed by a New Jersey woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ruling that her confinement complies with federal immigration law and that she is not entitled to a bond hearing.
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton issued the opinion in Medellin Sanchez v. Soto et al., Civil Action No. 25-19082 (SDW), rejecting the habeas corpus petition of Susana Medellin Sanchez, who is currently held at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark. Sanchez filed her petition on December 30, 2025, under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, claiming that she was unlawfully detained after voluntarily reporting to ICE and that her detention violated her constitutional due process rights.
According to court filings, Sanchez, a citizen of Mexico, first entered the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in March 2021 without valid immigration documents. She was subsequently released on parole under Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). In her petition, Sanchez claimed she had complied fully with all reporting requirements related to her pending asylum application and removal proceedings, which are scheduled to continue later this year.
Sanchez alleged that ICE officers detained her under false pretenses after telling her there was a “technical problem” with her immigration paperwork. She further stated that her detention has caused severe hardship to her family, particularly her infant U.S.-born son, whom she was still breastfeeding at the time of her arrest in December 2025.
Respondents, including Delaney Hall Warden Luis Soto, ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, argued that Sanchez’s detention was lawful and mandatory under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2), which requires detention of certain noncitizens seeking admission who are awaiting removal proceedings. They cited a 2025 decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals (Matter of Yajure Hurtado, 29 I. & N. Dec. 216) that held noncitizens detained under § 1225(b) are not eligible for bond hearings.
Sanchez, by contrast, argued that she should be detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which governs post-entry custody and allows for discretionary release on bond by an immigration judge. She asserted that ICE was misapplying the law by categorizing her as an “arriving alien” despite her long-term parole and pending asylum claim.
Judge Wigenton rejected that argument, finding that Sanchez’s detention falls squarely within the scope of § 1225(b)(2) because she entered the country without valid documentation and remains in “arriving alien” status under federal law. “Respondents have demonstrated that Petitioner’s custody is lawful and authorized by statute,” the court wrote, adding that it lacked authority to order a bond hearing in such cases.
The court also concluded that it possessed jurisdiction to review the habeas petition because Sanchez filed it while confined within the District of New Jersey. However, after reviewing the record, Judge Wigenton determined that the detention did not violate the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.
ICE records submitted to the court showed that Sanchez was arrested by Parsippany-Troy Hills police on December 20, 2025, on a charge of simple assault. ICE lodged an immigration detainer the following day and took her into custody. Her next immigration court hearing, originally scheduled for January 13, 2026, was postponed one week to allow her to consult with an attorney.
Sanchez’s petition emphasized her role as a mother of a U.S. citizen child and sought humanitarian release. But Judge Wigenton held that humanitarian factors do not override the statutory basis for mandatory detention under federal immigration law.
The ruling leaves Sanchez in ICE custody pending the outcome of her ongoing removal proceedings.
A New Jersey federal judge ruled that Susana Medellin Sanchez’s detention by ICE is lawful under immigration law, rejecting her request for release and bond hearing.
