Carlos Jesus Colina-Meira v. Todd Lyons, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedDecember 31, 2025
Docket1:25-cv-01716
StatusUnknown

This text of Carlos Jesus Colina-Meira v. Todd Lyons, et al. (Carlos Jesus Colina-Meira v. Todd Lyons, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carlos Jesus Colina-Meira v. Todd Lyons, et al., (E.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 CARLOS JESUS COLINA-MEIRA, No. 1:25-cv-1716 CSK P 12 Petitioner, ORDER 13 v.

14 TODD LYONS, et al., 15 Respondents. 16 17 I. INTRODUCTION 18 Petitioner, an asylum seeker from Venezuela who entered the United States on or around 19 September 29, 2022, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.1 20 Petitioner is represented by pro bono counsel. Petitioner was initially detained by immigration 21 officials and released on parole on October 3, 2022. On October 7, 2025, petitioner reported to 22 U.S. Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) in Los Angeles and was re-detained. This habeas action 23 concerns petitioner’s re-detention. For the following reasons, this Court grants the petition and 24 orders petitioner released immediately. 25 II. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 26 On December 2, 2025, petitioner filed his petition for writ of habeas corpus. (ECF No. 1.) 27 1 The parties consented to the jurisdiction of the United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1). (ECF No. 11.) 1 On December 3, 2025, petitioner filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. (ECF No. 3.) 2 On December 4, 2025, the Honorable Dena M. Coggins denied petitioner’s motion for a 3 temporary restraining order without prejudice where petitioner was detained on October 7, 2025, 4 but did not explain in his motion why he did not seek injunctive relief sooner. (ECF No. 4.) On 5 December 5, 2025, this Court directed respondents to file a response to the petition within 6 fourteen days and ordered that petitioner may file a reply within fourteen days after being served 7 with the response. (ECF No. 6.) 8 On December 9, 2025, this action was reassigned to this Court after the parties consented 9 to the jurisdiction of the magistrate judge. (ECF No. 11.) 10 On December 19, 2025, respondents timely filed a response to the petition. (ECF No. 12.) 11 On December 23, 2025, petitioner timely filed a reply to the response. (ECF No. 13.) 12 In response to the Court’s order (ECF No. 14), on December 29, 2025, respondents filed a 13 supplemental response with additional documents. (ECF No. 15.) On December 30, 2025, 14 petitioner filed a sur-reply. (ECF No. 16.) Briefing is now complete. 15 III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND 16 Petitioner is a native and citizen of Venezuela who claims to have entered the United 17 States on or around September 29, 2022 near El Paso, Texas. (ECF No. 12 at 14, 31.) Petitioner 18 entered or was present without inspection and he did not possess or present a valid immigrant visa 19 or other valid entry document. (Id. at 9, 31.) On October 3, 2022, petitioner was paroled into the 20 United States pursuant to Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) § 212(d)(5) due to detention 21 capacity. (Id. at 11, 15, 31.) According to the declaration of the ICE Officer submitted by 22 respondents, on September 6, 2023, petitioner filed an affirmative asylum application (form I- 23 589), which was subsequently transferred to the Immigration Court, docketed, and a Notice to 24 Appear was filed. (Id. at 31.) 25 On October 7, 2025, petitioner reported to the Los Angeles ICE Field Office where he was 26 detained. (Id. at 31, 17-19.) On October 7, 2025, a Notice to Appear was issued charging 27 petitioner with INA § 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(1), not being in possession of a valid unexpired immigrant 28 visa or other valid entry document at the time of application of admission, and 1 INA § 212(a)(6)(A)(i), an alien present in the United States without being admitted or paroled, 2 who arrived in the United States at any time or place other than designated by the Attorney 3 General. (Id. at 6, 32.) On October 25, 2025, an I-830 was filed, reflecting petitioner’s transfer to 4 California City ICE Processing Center. (Id. at 21, 32.) Petitioner was scheduled for a video 5 hearing before an Immigration Judge in Adelanto, California for December 16, 2025. (Id. at 23, 6 32.) A video hearing before an Immigration Judge in Adelanto has been scheduled for February 7 6, 2026. (Id. at 32, 28.) 8 IV. LEGAL STANDARD 9 The Constitution guarantees the availability of the writ of habeas corpus “to every 10 individual detained within the United States.” Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507, 525 (2004) 11 (citing U.S. Const., Art I, § 9, cl. 2). “The essence of habeas corpus is an attack by a person in 12 custody upon the legality of that custody, and ... the traditional function of the writ is to secure 13 release from illegal custody.” Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 484 (1973). A writ of habeas 14 corpus may be granted to a petitioner who demonstrates that he is in custody in violation of the 15 Constitution or federal law. 28 U.S.C. § 2241(c)(3). Historically, “the writ of habeas corpus has 16 served as a means of reviewing the legality of Executive detention, and it is in that context that its 17 protections have been strongest.” I.N.S. v. St. Cyr, 533 U.S. 289, 301 (2001). A district court’s 18 habeas jurisdiction includes challenges to immigration detention. See Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 19 U.S. 678, 687 (2001). 20 V. DISCUSSION 21 The petition, filed on a habeas corpus petition form, raises two claims for relief. In claim 22 one, petitioner argues that he is being detained in violation of his right to due process under the 23 Fifth Amendment. (ECF No. 1 at 6.) Petitioner contends that after he entered the United States 24 in 2022, he was released on parole. (Id. at 6.) Petitioner contends that following his re-detention 25 on October 7, 2025, he was not afforded a pre-deprivation hearing prior to being detained in 26 violation of his right to due process. (Id.) Petitioner contends that his prior release meant that the 27 government found petitioner not to be a danger or a flight risk. (Id.) In claim two, petitioner 28 argues that the July 8, 2025 DHS guidance classifies petitioner as being bond ineligible under 1 INA 235 and thus subject to mandatory detention. (Id.) Petitioner contends that he is bond 2 eligible under the pre-July 8, 2025 DHS guidance contained under INA 236. (Id.) Petitioner’s 3 claims are more thoroughly briefed in petitioner’s motion for a temporary restraining order. (ECF 4 No. 3.) 5 In response, respondents argue that petitioner is detained as an applicant for admission 6 under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) and is not entitled to a bond hearing. (ECF No. 12 at 2-3.) 7 Respondents further argue that there is insufficient evidence that petitioner would be classified 8 under Section 236 of the Act. (Id. at 3.) 9 A. Statutory Claim (Claim Two) 10 1. Statutory Background 11 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) mandates detention during removal proceedings for applicants 12 “seeking admission” and does not provide for a bond hearing. 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) “provides the 13 general process for arresting and detaining [noncitizens] who are present in the United States and 14 eligible for removal.” Rodriguez Diaz v. Garland, 53 F.4th 1189, 1196 (9th Cir. 2022). Under 15 Section 1226(a), the Government has broad discretion whether to release or detain the individual. 16 See id.

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Morrissey v. Brewer
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Preiser v. Rodriguez
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Young v. Harper
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Bluebook (online)
Carlos Jesus Colina-Meira v. Todd Lyons, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlos-jesus-colina-meira-v-todd-lyons-et-al-caed-2025.