The petitioner, identified only as J.L.F.J., has lived continuously in Brooklyn, New York since 1997 before being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on January 16, 2026. The detainee filed the habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. ยง 2241 on April 2, seeking release from custody and proceeding under a pseudonym due to concerns about retaliation and disclosure of medical conditions.
Judge Drozd adopted the reasoning from three recent cases where he granted similar habeas petitions: Quichimbo-Jimenez v. Warden, Cardenas v. Chestnut, and J.P.C. v. Chestnut, all decided in March 2026. The government conceded that 'there are no significant factual or legal issues in this case that materially distinguish it from the cases identified in the Order,' according to their April 7 filing. Respondents also stated they would not oppose converting the temporary restraining order motion into a preliminary injunction and supported resolving the case on the merits based on the current record.
The case moved quickly through the Eastern District of California, with the petition filed April 2 and decided within a week. Judge Drozd had set a briefing schedule on April 6, directing the government to explain any distinguishing factors from the earlier successful habeas cases. The government's concession that no material differences existed effectively cleared the path for the petitioner's release.
The ruling continues a pattern of successful immigration detention challenges in the Eastern District of California and may signal broader vulnerabilities in ICE's detention practices. Judge Drozd ordered the government not to re-detain the petitioner without providing notice and a pre-detention hearing before an immigration judge, absent exigent circumstances.