Oscar Trujillo-Chavez, A-240-464-926, a.k.a., Gerardo Fuentes Lomeli, A-399-312-787 v. Warden of the California City Detention Facility

District Court, E.D. California·Decided June 15, 2026·No. 1:26-cv-03216·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 10 OSCAR TRUJILLO-CHAVEZ, A-240- No. 1:26-cv-03216-DC-EFB (HC) 464-926, a.k.a., GERARDO FUENTES 11 LOMELI, A-399-312-787, 12 Petitioner, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13 v. 14 WARDEN OF THE CALIFORNIA CITY DETENTION FACILIY, 15 Respondent. 16

17 Petitioner is a noncitizen alien detained in an immigration detention facility who has 18 brought a petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. ECF No. 1. This matter was 19 referred to the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(17). For the reasons set forth below, 20 the undersigned recommends the writ be granted and respondents be ordered to provide petitioner 21 a bond hearing. 22 BACKGROUND 23 A. Factual Background 24 In his petition for writ of habeas corpus, petitioner alleges that he is a noncitizen who is 25 currently detained by respondents pending immigration removal proceedings. ECF No. 1 ¶ 18. 26 He alleges that he entered the United States thirty years ago and, since then, has resided in the 27 United States with his wife, with whom he has raised two children. Id. ¶ 23. He alleges that he 28 1 has suffered two criminal convictions for driving under the influence, two convictions for 2 domestic violence offenses, and one conviction for assault on a minor. Id. He has an application 3 for adjustment of status, I-485, pending. Id. ¶¶ 18, 23. On February 4, 2026, he was arrested by 4 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and has been detained since that date 5 without access to a bond hearing. Id. ¶¶ 19-20. During his detention, he alleges, he has not 6 received adequate medical care and the conditions of his confinement are otherwise substandard. 7 Id. ¶ 23. 8 Respondent does not dispute petitioner’s factual allegations. ECF No. 13 at 2-3. 9 Respondent further represents that petitioner is a citizen of Mexico who entered the United States 10 on, approximately, January 18, 1998. Id. at 2 & Ex. 1. At that time, he was released on his own 11 recognizance and no Notice to Appear at removal proceedings was filed in the Executive Office 12 for Immigration Review. Id. Petitioner suffered criminal convictions in 2019, 2024, 2025, and 13 2026, including a conviction on July 16, 2025, for violation of California Health and Safety Code 14 § 11377(a) (possession of a controlled substance), for which he was sentenced to 32 days in jail 15 and 12 months of probation. Id. at 2-3. Respondent agrees that petitioner was arrested by ICE 16 agents on February 4, 2026, and represents that, on February 5, 2026, the Department of 17 Homeland Security (DHS) issued petitioner a Notice to Appear charging him with inadmissibility 18 under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i). Id. at 3 & Ex. 2. 19 In his reply brief, petitioner does not dispute the factual representations made by 20 respondent. ECF No. 14. 21 B. Procedural Background 22 Petitioner initiated this action in propria persona on April 27, 2026, ECF No. 1, under the 23 name Gerardo Fuentes-Lomeli, and with the alien registration number (A-number) of 240-464- 24 920. ECF No. 1. The same day, petitioner moved for appointment of counsel and to proceed in 25 forma pauperis. ECF Nos. 2, 3. On April 30, 2026, respondent moved for petitioner to provide 26 his correct A-number, on the basis that the A-number provided in the petition did not appear 27 affiliated with the name under which the petition was filed. ECF No. 6. That motion and 28 petitioner’s motion to appoint counsel were granted on May 4, 2026. ECF No. 7. Counsel 1 appointed counsel for petitioner on May 11, 2026. ECF No. 9. On May 21, 2026, counsel for 2 petitioner filed a notice of petitioner’s A-number stating that petitioner’s true name is Gerardo 3 Fuentes-Lomeli and his A-number is 399-312-787. The notice added that petitioner is currently 4 detained under the alias Oscar Trujilio-Chavez, with the A-number 240-464-920. ECF No. 11. 5 The court’s docket was updated to reflect this. On May 28, 2026, respondent timely filed a 6 response to the petition, ECF No. 13, and petitioner filed a reply on June 1, 2026. ECF No. 14. 7 LEGAL STANDARD 8 The federal court should grant a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 when the 9 petitioner is in custody in violation of the Constitution or federal law. See, e.g., Dominguez v. 10 Kernan, 906 F.3d 1127, 1134 (9th Cir. 2018). The petitioner bears the burden to prove the 11 unlawfulness of his detention by a preponderance of evidence. Sepulveda Ayala v. Bondi, 794 F. 12 Supp. 3d 901, 911 (W.D. Wash. 2025). 13 DISCUSSION 14 In his petition, petitioner raises a single claim for relief, alleging that his prolonged 15 detention without a bond hearing violates his rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment. 16 ECF No. 1 at 16-17. As a remedy, petitioner requests the court order his immediate release or, 17 alternatively, order respondent to provide him a bond hearing within 30 days, as well as grant 18 declaratory relief and attorneys fees. Id. at 17. In his reply brief, however, petitioner argues that 19 the appropriate relief is the ordering of a bond hearing at which respondent bears the burden of 20 proof by clear and convincing evidence. ECF No. 14 at 8-9. 21 Respondent argues that petitioner has no cognizable liberty interest in his release, because 22 his detention is mandated by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(c) and § 1225(b). ECF No. 13 at 3-8. Respondent 23 also argues that, if the court finds petitioner is entitled to habeas corpus relief, the court should 24 order respondents to provide petitioner a bond hearing, in lieu of ordering his immediate release, 25 and that petitioner should bear the burden of proof at such a hearing. Id. at 8-9. 26 //// 27 //// 28 //// 1 1. Violation of Right to Due Process 2 Liberally construing the allegations of petitioner’s pro se petition, see Erickson v. Pardus, 3 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007), and in light of the arguments made in petitioner’s reply brief prepared by 4 counsel, it appears petitioner advances two alternative theories of deprivation of his Fifth 5 Amendment procedural due process rights. In some respects, his allegations posit that respondent 6 has violated his procedural due process rights by holding him in detention for a prolonged period 7 of time without providing him a bond hearing. See ECF No. 1 ¶¶ 8, 20, 26-28, 30, 36, 38-49. In 8 other respects, his allegations appear to be that, because he is lawfully subject to detention under 9 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), he is entitled to a bond hearing under that statutory section, and respondent’s 10 failure to provide him one violates his rights to procedural due process, regardless of the length of 11 his detention. See id. ¶¶ 21-23, 32-35, 37, 46-49; ECF No. 14 at 2, 8, 9. The undersigned 12 concludes that petitioner has demonstrated his entitlement to habeas corpus relief on the latter 13 ground, but not the former, and recommends the writ be granted. 14 a. Failure to Provide Petitioner a Bond Hearing Under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) 15 The due process clause of the Fifth Amendment protects persons in the United States from 16 being deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

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Oscar Trujillo-Chavez, A-240-464-926, a.k.a., Gerardo Fuentes Lomeli, A-399-312-787 v. Warden of the California City Detention Facility, (E.D. Cal. 2026).

Oscar Trujillo-Chavez, A-240-464-926, a.k.a., Gerardo Fuentes Lomeli, A-399-312-787 v. Warden of the California City Detention Facility (Oscar Trujillo-Chavez, A-240-464-926, a.k.a., Gerardo Fuentes Lomeli, A-399-312-787 v. Warden of the California City Detention Facility) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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