Immigrant-rights groups sue ICE over New York courthouse arrests

On August 1, 2025, African Communities Together and The Door sued ICE acting director Todd Lyons and other officials in the Southern District of New York, represented by NYCLU, ACLU, Make the Road New York, and Emery Celli. The plaintiffs argued that courthouse arrests and coordinated case dismissals forced immigrants to choose between attending required hearings and risking detention. The lawsuit turned the Trump administration's courthouse-arrest policy into an Administrative Procedure Act fight over whether agencies can change enforcement rules without a reasoned explanation (NYCLU case page; ACLU; complaint; Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse; NYCLU press release).