Judge calls ICE’s compliance a “spectacular failure” and will consider appointing a monitor
Baltimore, MD – The US District Court for the District of Maryland has granted Plaintiffs’ motion to enforce a preliminary injunction requiring US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end unconstitutional conditions at the Baltimore Hold Rooms. Following a September 17, 2026 hearing, the Court found that the government had failed to comply with the Court’s March 6, 2026 preliminary injunction, including its requirements governing overcrowding, medical access and screening, and providing detained people with notice of their rights.
The Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion to enforce on essentially every count and sharply criticized the government’s failure to comply with the preliminary injunction, describing its efforts as a “spectacular failure.” The Court also rejected the government’s attempts to undermine the credibility of people who provided declarations describing their experiences in the Baltimore Hold Rooms, including several Amica Center clients.
In the ruling, which lasted approximately 70 minutes, the judge discussed the government’s own data that showed overcrowding on more than 60% of the days after the March 6, 2026 injunction was issued. The Court also specifically addressed the experiences of the individuals who came forward to document violations of the preliminary injunction. The Court recognized the risks these individuals took in speaking publicly about their treatment while in government custody, commending their bravery and emphasizing that they had “nothing to gain by lying and everything to lose by telling the truth.”
The Court’s Monday ruling requires the Baltimore Field Office Director to:
- Produce a copy of the written notice of rights within five days and certify that it will be given to people in custody as the injunction requires;
- File a sworn declaration from the Baltimore Field Office Director every 14 days, under penalty of perjury, reporting daily maximum cell counts, data on prescription and over-the-counter medication, confirmation that medical screenings were completed, and attestation that each person received the notice of rights;
- Brief the court by October 13 on whether it should appoint a monitor to oversee compliance.
The enforcement ruling is the latest development in the federal class action lawsuit, D.N.N. et al. v. Liggins et al., filed by the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and the National Immigration Project on behalf of people detained in the Baltimore Hold Rooms. On March 6, 2026, the Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and certified a class of “all persons who are now, or will be, detained at the Baltimore Hold Rooms,” finding that the conditions violated the Fifth Amendment rights of people detained there.
“This ruling makes clear that a preliminary injunction is not a suggestion – it is a court order, and ICE must comply and maintain accurate records of that compliance,” said Amelia Dagen, Senior Attorney at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. “Our clients and other individuals took a great risk by exposing what is happening inside these holding rooms. We are deeply grateful that Judge Rubin credited their accounts and is holding ICE accountable by requiring the agency to comply to ensure that everyone’s rights are being protected.”
“The judge found that ICE was out of compliance from the very first day, and that the violations were a regular feature—’not a bug’—of how the hold rooms run,” said Yulie Landan, Staff Attorney at the National Immigration Project. “This is how ICE operates when a federal court has told it in writing exactly what it can and cannot do. An agency that ignores a judge for six months is telling you plainly what it thinks of the people in those cells.”
The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and the National Immigration Project will continue monitoring ICE’s compliance with the preliminary injunction and advocating for the rights and safety of people detained in the Baltimore Hold Rooms.
Contact:
media@amicacenter.org
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The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights engages in unwavering legal defense and strategic litigation for immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation. Everyone deserves access to due process and legal representation, and we work every day to make that a reality.
The National Immigration Project is a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who believe that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. We litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those most impacted by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported. Learn more at nipnlg.org. Follow the National Immigration Project on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads at @NIPNLG.