These Judges Take Months to Decide If Immigrants Have Been Unlawfully Detained by Carla Astudillo September 3, 2026, 5:00 am +...

These Judges Take Months to Decide If Immigrants Have Been Unlawfully Detained by Carla Astudillo September 3, 2026, 5:00 am When President Donald Trump returned to the White House, he pushed for a seismic shift in immigration enforcement resulting in mass detention. Tens of thousands of detainees have filed what are known as habeas petitions in an effort to gain their freedom, asking federal judges to rule that they’ve been unlawfully held by the government. But their chances of a speedy ruling have varied dramatically. Our analysis of court records from the more than 70,000 habeas cases filed since January 2025 found that some judges take far longer than others to resolve cases as federal courts have adjusted unevenly to the unprecedented flood of filings. In parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, federal judges have usually taken three months or more to decide if someone should be released. Among the cases that have been resolved in Mississippi, half took 92 days or more — the longest of any state. The delays have left many detainees waiting in prisonlike facilities overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that advocates say are substandard and unsafe. Some detainees are asking to be deported rather than wait in detention centers. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the department is “working rapidly and overtime to remove these aliens from detention centers to their final destination — home.” Detained immigrants can request “a free flight home and a $3,000 exit bonus,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson called claims of substandard conditions in federal detention facilities false, adding, “All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries.” https://projects.propublica.org/habeas-tracker/ 73.318 Habeas cases since January 2025 Tracking Habeas Cases ProPublica is tracking the historic rise in challenges filed by immigrants claiming their detention is illegal. Data as of Aug. 25, 2026 • Published Feb. 10, 2026 by Ruth Talbot, Pratheek Rebala and Carla Astudillo