The Trump administration has announced a sweeping shift in immigration policy, ending bond hearings for undocumented immigrants facing deportation, according to an internal ICE memo obtained by The Washington Post.
Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons ordered agents to detain such immigrants “for the duration of their removal proceedings,” which may take years. The policy, based on a reinterpreted statute, applies to individuals who entered illegally over past decades, not just recent border crossers.
SCOOP ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings by @CarolLeonnig & me https://t.co/SsRGFBs0Qm
— Maria Sacchetti (@mariasacchetti) July 15, 2025
The move aligns with President Trump’s “America First” agenda and follows a $45 billion funding boost to expand detention capacity. Civil rights groups, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, warn the policy undermines due process and targets long-term residents with U.S.-born children.
Critics argue it effectively “supercharges” detention. ICE is currently holding 56,000 immigrants daily. Legal challenges are expected. ICE and Customs and Border Protection declined to comment.
