Daniel Ramirez Martinez, a Mexican citizen who has lived in the United States for 24 years, was arrested by ICE agents in February 2026 while stopping for gas at a closed station in Michigan. Martinez, who owns a home in Ypsilanti and worked as a painter and carpenter, was dragged from his work van by agents in unmarked SUVs and charged with being present in the U.S. without admission or proper documentation. He has been detained at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, since his arrest.
Judge Maloney concluded that Martinez should be detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than the mandatory detention provisions of § 1225(b)(2), noting that the latter statute does not apply to 'noncitizens, such as Petitioner, who have resided in the United States and were already within the United States when apprehended.' The judge found Martinez's detention violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights, citing his own precedential analysis from four similar cases decided in December 2025.
ICE had argued that Martinez should exhaust administrative remedies by pursuing a bond hearing through immigration court and appealing to the Board of Immigration Appeals if necessary. However, Judge Maloney declined to enforce prudential exhaustion, finding waiver appropriate based on his analysis in the similar Western District of Michigan cases. The government also contended that the Detroit ICE Field Office Director should be the only proper respondent, but the court retained multiple respondents including the Acting ICE Director and DHS Secretary.
The court ordered ICE to provide Martinez with a bond hearing under § 1226(a) within five business days or immediately release him from custody. Judge Maloney also required the government to file a status report within six business days certifying compliance and detailing whether bond was granted or denied. The ruling follows a pattern of similar decisions by Judge Maloney in late 2025 involving long-term U.S. residents challenging their immigration detention.