Jose Wilberto Cerrano Viana v. Warden, California City Detention Facility, et al.

District Court, E.D. California·Decided April 29, 2026·No. 1:26-cv-02362·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JOSE WILBERTO CERRANO VIANA No. 1:26-cv-2362 DC CSK (A-214-557-219), 12 Petitioner, 13 FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS v. 14 WARDEN, CALIFORNIA CITY 15 DETENTION FACILITY, et al., 16 Respondents. 17 18 Petitioner Jose Wilberto Cerrano Viana (A-214-557-219), a native and citizen of El 19 Salvador, who is proceeding with counsel, entered the United States in September 2021, has filed 20 a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.1 On March 20, 2026, petitioner 21 was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and has been in continuous 22 detention since this date. This habeas action concerns petitioner’s detention. For the reasons that 23 follow, the Court recommends granting the petition for a writ of habeas corpus and ordering 24 petitioner’s immediate release. 25 /// 26 /// 27 1 This matter proceeds before the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636, Fed. R. Civ. P. 72, 28 and Local Rule 302(c)(17). 1 I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND2 2 Petitioner is a native and citizen of El Salvador. (ECF No. 1 at 11; ECF No. 1-2 at 2.) 3 Petitioner last entered the United States in September 2021. (ECF No. 1 at 11.) Petitioner was 4 not encountered by U.S. immigration officials at the time of entry. (Id.) On or around August 4, 5 2023, petitioner filed an application for relief under the Violence Against Women Act (Form I- 6 360) with the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). (ECF No. 1-2.) On January 18, 2024, 7 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), which is part of DHS, issued petitioner a 8 Prima Facie Determination that petitioner had made a prima case for classification under the self- 9 petitioning provisions of the Violence Against Women Act, which was valid for one year and 10 would be automatically extended if a decision was not made. (ECF No. 1-5 at 7-8.) USCIS 11 renewed petitioner’s Prima Facie Determination under the Violence Against Women Act multiple 12 times, including on January 8, 2025, June 27, 2025, and December 23, 2025, extending the Prima 13 Facie Determination through June 21, 2026. (Id. at 1-6.) 14 On or around August 4, 2023, petitioner filed an application for adjustment of status 15 (Form I-485) with DHS. (ECF No. 1-3.) On or around August 4, 2023, petitioner filed an 16 application for waiver of grounds of admissibility (Form 1-601) with DHS. (ECF No. 1-4.) 17 These applications remain pending. (ECF No. 1 at 13.) 18 On or around August 8, 2024, DHS approved petitioner’s application for employment 19 authorization, which is valid through August 5, 2029. (ECF No. 1 at 13; ECF No. 1-6.) 20 Petitioner has continuously resided in Maryland since September 2021, has a partner, is the father 21 to three United States citizen children who are 4, 8, and 12 years old, and provides for the daily 22 care and financial support of his three children. (ECF No. 1 at 2, 11.) 23 On March 20, 2026, petitioner was arrested and detained by three individuals who arrived 24 in unmarked vehicles wearing plainclothes, and who petitioner later learned were ICE officers. 25 (See ECF No. 1 at 11.) Petitioner was taken to Baltimore, Maryland, then transported to Arizona, 26 and then transported to detention facilities in California. (Id.) Petitioner has been in continuous 27 2 The factual background is taken from the petition and attached exhibits. (ECF Nos. 1, 1-2, 1-3, 28 1-4, 1-5, 1-6.) Respondents do not contest petitioner’s factual allegations. (ECF No. 7.) 1 custody since March 20, 2026. (Id.) Respondents do not contest petitioner’s factual assertions. 2 (See ECF No. 7.) 3 II. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 4 On March 27, 2026, petitioner filed his petition for writ of habeas corpus. (ECF No. 1.) 5 On April 15, 2026, respondents filed an opposition to the petition, and on April 24, 2026, 6 petitioner filed a reply. (ECF Nos. 7, 11.) Respondents have confirmed that this district court has 7 jurisdiction over this petition. (ECF No. 10.) Briefing is now complete. 8 III. 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 IV. DISCUSSION 21 Generally, noncitizens are subject to civil immigration detention only if the noncitizen 22 presents a risk of flight or danger to the community. See Zadvydas, 533 U.S. at 690 (holding that 23 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(6) does not authorize indefinite detention). Petitioner challenges his 24 continued detention based on the violation of the following: (1) the Immigration and Nationality 25 Act (“INA”); and (2) the Fifth Amendment due process clause. (ECF No. 1 at 13-15.) 26 Respondents do not argue that petitioner is a flight risk or a danger to the community and instead 27 argue that as an “applicant for admission,” petitioner’s detention is mandatory under 8 U.S.C. 28 § 1225(b)(2) and he is ineligible for a bond hearing. (ECF No. 7 at 1.) Respondents cite Avila v. 1 Bondi, No. 25-3741, 2026 WL 819258 (8th Cir. Mar. 25, 2026) and Buenrostro-Mendez v. 2 Bondi, 166 F.4th 494 (5th Cir. 2026), in support of their position that § 1225(b)(2)(A) is 3 applicable here. (Id.) Respondents also argue that petitioner does not possess a right to freedom 4 from immigration detention in any form other than the form provided by Congress. (Id.) 5 A. Statutory Claim (Claim One) 6 The first issue here is whether petitioner, who has no criminal record,3 has lived in the 7 United States since September 2021, was issued a Prima Facie Determination under the Violence 8 Against Women Act by immigration authorities in January 2024, and was issued employment 9 authorization by immigration authorities in August 2024, is subject to discretionary release under 10 § 1226(a) as petitioner contends, or whether petitioner is now subject to mandatory detention 11 under § 1225(b)(2)(A), as respondents argue. 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) mandates detention during 12 removal proceedings for applicants “seeking admission” and does not provide for a bond hearing. 13 8 U.S.C. §

Jose Wilberto Cerrano Viana v. Warden, California City Detention Facility, et al., (E.D. Cal. 2026).

Jose Wilberto Cerrano Viana v. Warden, California City Detention Facility, et al. (Jose Wilberto Cerrano Viana v. Warden, California City Detention Facility, et al.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Morrissey v. Brewer
408 U.S. 471 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Perry v. Sindermann
408 U.S. 593 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Preiser v. Rodriguez
411 U.S. 475 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Gagnon v. Scarpelli
411 U.S. 778 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Mathews v. Eldridge
424 U.S. 319 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill
470 U.S. 532 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
490 U.S. 454 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Foucha v. Louisiana
504 U.S. 71 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Young v. Harper
520 U.S. 143 (Supreme Court, 1997)
Immigration & Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr
533 U.S. 289 (Supreme Court, 2001)
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
542 U.S. 507 (Supreme Court, 2004)
Donath v. THE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA
4 U.S. 463 (Supreme Court, 1806)
Xochitl Hernandez v. Jefferson Sessions
872 F.3d 976 (Ninth Circuit, 2017)
Jennings v. Rodriguez
583 U.S. 281 (Supreme Court, 2018)
GUERRA
24 I. & N. Dec. 37 (Board of Immigration Appeals, 2006)