Eastern District ruling says agents “grossly abused” authority in detaining Honduran immigrant with lawful status, calls conduct unconstitutional.
Central Islip, NY – U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown issued a sweeping rebuke of federal immigration authorities this week, ruling that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents illegally arrested and detained a New York man who held lawful protected status under a federal program for abused and abandoned minors.
Key Points
- The court found that ICE unlawfully arrested Hesler Asaf Garcia Lanza, 24, a Honduran immigrant with Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status and valid work authorization.
- Judge Brown ruled that ICE fabricated post-arrest paperwork to justify the detention, calling the conduct “reprehensible” and “in violation of the Constitution.”
- The judge vacated all actions taken by immigration authorities, ordered the return of Garcia Lanza’s work permit, and left open the possibility of broader, representative relief for others.
Arrested despite legal protection
Garcia Lanza, who immigrated from Honduras as a child and was legally living and working in New York, was detained in January by ICE agents who allegedly mistook him for another person. Despite presenting his valid federal work authorization card, officers handcuffed and jailed him without a warrant.
Judge Brown wrote that ICE agents later fabricated an administrative warrant and removal paperwork to justify the arrest. The court described the agency’s behavior as “an abuse of authority that violates constitutional and statutory safeguards.”
In his 24-page memorandum, Brown said ICE’s treatment of Garcia Lanza “isn’t how things are supposed to work in America,” noting that the man had no criminal record and was fully authorized to live and work in the country.
Court rejects ICE’s claims and revokes penalties
The ruling, issued March 3, 2026, declares that ICE had no legal basis to arrest Garcia Lanza, who was protected under SIJ status and deferred action authorized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The judge found that ICE’s post-arrest documentation “cannot retroactively legalize an unlawful detention.”
Judge Brown further struck down Homeland Security’s decision to revoke Garcia Lanza’s deferred action and work authorization, describing it as “arbitrary, capricious, pretextual, and retaliatory.” The court ordered ICE to immediately return his confiscated work authorization card and vacated a $5,130 fine the agency had imposed following his arrest.
Potential for broader action
In a rare move, Judge Brown suggested the misconduct may be part of a “widespread pattern” of unlawful immigration arrests targeting individuals with legal protection. He granted Garcia Lanza’s counsel permission to amend the petition to seek representative relief, which could extend the case’s reach to others subjected to similar treatment.
Citing testimony from other immigration cases, the judge noted “a substantial disconnect between the practices and policies deployed by ICE and the law,” and condemned what he called “abhorrent and illegal practices.”
The decision leaves the door open for potential class-style habeas action, signaling growing judicial scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.
Tags: eastern district of new york, immigration, ice
