Ecuadorian Man Released After Court Order Breach by ICE

An Ecuadorian man, Juan Hugo Tobay Robles, was released by immigration authorities on Tuesday, just a day after a federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not follow a court order mandating a bail hearing.

His attorney, Graham Ojala Barber, confirmed that Robles is now free from custody in Texas.

Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schultz stated in a ruling that ICE failed to hold a bail hearing as required by a January 14 court order, which stipulated that this hearing should occur within a week. The order also indicated that Robles should be released immediately if the hearing was not provided.

Schultz pointed out that ICE’s noncompliance was part of a larger issue, noting that the agency has overlooked numerous court orders in recent weeks, leading to undue hardship for detainees, including prolonged detentions and transfers.

He expressed that the court’s patience had been significantly tested and instructed Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear in person to clarify why he shouldn’t be held in contempt.

The court remarked that requiring heads of federal agencies to appear in court is unusual, but the severity of ICE’s disregard for orders warranted such a step since previous attempts to resolve the matter had failed.

With Robles’ release, the court has determined that Lyons does not now need to appear in court.

Schultz acknowledged that the court has been quite patient with the previous administration, particularly regarding the influx of immigration personnel to Minnesota, which lacked the proper framework to manage the resultant cases and habeas petitions.

According to court documents, Robles entered the United States as a minor around 1999.