11th US Circuit Court rejects Trump's no-bond immigration detention policy
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 7
11th US Circuit Court rejects Trump's no-bond immigration detention policy
9 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 7
In a 2-1 ruling in Atlanta, the court sided with two Mexican men arrested in Florida traffic stops and placed in deportation proceedings.
The decision makes the 11th Circuit the second appeals court to strike down the policy, while the 5th and 8th upheld it and the 7th split.
The policy, in force since July, denies bond hearings to many detainees, has triggered more than 30,000 habeas lawsuits and could now face Supreme Court review.
With federal courts deeply divided, is the Supreme Court poised to settle the no-bond detention debate for good?
As detention numbers hit record highs, do cheaper alternatives challenge the logic of the government's no-bond policy?
11th Circuit Strikes Down Trump’s No-Bond Immigration Detention Policy, Deepening National Legal Split
Overview
In April 2026, the Eleventh Circuit Court struck down the Trump administration's policy that mandated detention without bond hearings for nearly all noncitizens in deportation proceedings, ruling that mandatory detention applies only to those "seeking admission" at the border, not to individuals apprehended inside the U.S. This decision created a split among federal appeals courts, with some circuits upholding the policy and others rejecting it, leading to a surge in legal challenges and overwhelming federal courts with habeas petitions. ICE has resisted the ruling, continuing to enforce the policy nationwide. The split has intensified political debate and increased the likelihood of Supreme Court review to establish a uniform national standard.