ICE blocks bond hearings for millions of undocumented migrants

The United States has implemented a significant change in its immigration policy, which effectively eliminates the ability of undocumented migrants to seek bond hearings. This directive from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was announced on July 8, 2025, by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. The new policy insists that all individuals who entered the U.S. illegally will remain in custody for the entirety of their deportation proceedings. Previously, migrants had the opportunity to request bond hearings before immigration judges, allowing them to remain outside of detention while their cases were adjudicated. The official reasoning behind this sweeping directive is the reinterpretation of existing immigration laws to reinforce the agency's detention powers. The Trump administration claimed the move would enhance national security by preventing the release of potential flight risks and individuals deemed as security threats while their immigration cases are processed. The directive has been described as a dramatic expansion of existing policies, effectively allowing ICE to detain a greater number of individuals without any individualized review of their circumstances. This policy shift comes amid a significant allocation of federal funding aimed at increasing ICE's detention capacity, with reports indicating that the agency received approximately $45 billion as part of President Trump's recent spending package. The inflow of resources is projected to double ICE's existing detention capacity to between 80,000 and 100,000 beds, facilitating the potential detention of many more unauthorized immigrants within the nation's immigration system. The expectation is that these changes will also lead to extended periods of detention for many individuals who may have resided in the U.S. for years, affecting entire families who may be deeply rooted in American communities. The changes have rapidly sparked outrage among immigration attorneys and advocacy groups who warn that the new policy undermines due process rights, as many migrants will now find it significantly more challenging to contest their deportation while incarcerated in often overcrowded and inaccessible detention facilities. Legal experts are already preparing to challenge this policy in courts, indicating that the directive may encounter substantial opposition. The immediate implications and consequences of these actions have yet to unfold, and as ICE begins enforcing these guidelines across various jurisdictions, the impact on the lives and rights of countless undocumented migrants remains to be seen.