Judge John W. deGravelles granted habeas relief, concluding ICE’s re‑detention of the four at “Camp 57” (Angola) was unlawful because they had been held indefinitely beyond the six‑month presumptive maximum absent a reasonably foreseeable removal. He found ICE had not followed its own OSUP‑revocation procedures, that deportation was not reasonably foreseeable (no likely receiving country), that prolonged civil detention raised serious due‑process concerns (citing Zadvydas principles), and he ordered immediate release (the written order directed release within hours).
They were released to the community and reunited with family. Attorneys drove them from the prison gate to New Orleans; they shopped and took showers; the court ordered release within hours and the men were placed on flights to their homes the next day (they had previously been on orders of supervision before re‑detention).
A “final order of removal” is an administrative determination that an individual must be removed from the U.S.—it becomes final after immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals proceedings (or if the person waives appeals). Having a final order authorizes post‑order detention and removal steps but does not by itself allow indefinite detention; courts have interpreted limits (see Zadvydas) that permit release under supervision if removal is not reasonably foreseeable.
DHS/ICE detain noncitizens under statutory authority (notably 8 U.S.C. § 1231 for post‑removal‑order detention and other INA provisions for detention during proceedings). That authority permits custody to effectuate removal and, in narrow categories, mandatory detention, but courts require that detention be for a reasonable period and may order release if removal is not foreseeable (Zadvydas limits).
The September 2025 DHS–Louisiana partnership expanded ICE detention capacity by authorizing use of space at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) to house federal immigration detainees (Camp 57). The DOJ/DHS announcements and subsequent reporting show the facility is a state-operated unit used under a state–federal agreement to increase detention beds; it places immigration detainees on Angola grounds rather than in traditional ICE contract facilities. (The exact contractual terms are in the DHS/State agreement.)
Yes. The government may seek emergency relief: it ordinarily must first move in the district court for a stay of the release and then may seek a stay from the court of appeals (Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 8). If the district court denies relief, the government can ask the circuit for a stay pending appeal and may request emergency relief from the Supreme Court if necessary.
Yes. The habeas petition, the district courts written order, and the case caption are publicly filed. The Middle District order (Rodriguez Romero et al. v. Ladwig et al., No. 3:25‑cv‑01106) is available on govinfo as the courts PDF order; other court filings should be available on PACER for the Middle District of Louisiana and may be mirrored on public NGO filings (e.g., NIPNLG or counsel press releases).