May 27, 2025policy changeimmigration enforcementadministrative lawdue processimmigrationagency policycourts
ICE issues Directive 11072.4 for courthouse enforcement
On May 27, 2025, ICE acting director Todd Lyons issued Directive 11072.4 on civil immigration enforcement in or near courthouses. The directive gave ICE agents a framework for courthouse arrests after DHS revoked protected-area limits, but later litigation exposed a crucial boundary: the directive did not apply to Executive Office for Immigration Review immigration courts. That gap mattered because DOJ lawyers had cited the directive to defend immigration-court arrests until the government admitted the error in March 2026 (ICE directive; AILA; NPR; American Prospect; NYCLU).
Sources
Civil Immigration Enforcement Actions in or Near CourthousesICE Directive 11072.4: Civil Immigration Enforcement Actions in or Near CourthousesDOJ admits ICE courthouse arrests relied on erroneous informationICE Lied About Its Authority to Make Courthouse ArrestsAfter ICE Admitted Having No Justification for Arrests at Immigration Courthouses, District Court Grants Stay