Ira Glass

A habeas petition is sending to the government, show why this person is being detained.

Otherwise, you have to let them go.

This is a bedrock legal principle that's been around since the Middle Ages to keep people from being locked up without any reason.

It's in the first article of the U.S.

Constitution.

ProPublica has been tracking the numbers in immigration cases.

Before President Trump came back into office, there were like 20 or 30 immigration habeas petitions being filed every week.

In February, it was over 2,000 every week, which has completely overwhelmed the federal courts.

So the judge in this case enrolled in a bunch of these habeas cases.

These people have been illegally detained.

You got to release them immediately.

And then it didn't happen.

David Kestenbaum has our story.

David Kestenbaum is the senior editor of our show.

Julie Lee, the ICE attorney in the transcript, has since been reassigned.

The Declaration of O was read by Marquise Rodriguez.

Rich Sommer read the court transcript.

We reached out to the Department of Justice for comment and got the following statement that reads in part,

If rogue judges followed the law in adjudicating cases and respected the government's obligation to properly prepare cases, there wouldn't be an overwhelming, habeas caseload or concern over DHS following orders.

Our program was produced today by Lily Sullivan and edited by Nancy Opdyke.