Rakhim Rasulovich Shoimov v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 6, 2026
Docket1:25-cv-01603
StatusUnknown

This text of Rakhim Rasulovich Shoimov v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility (Rakhim Rasulovich Shoimov v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility) 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
Rakhim Rasulovich Shoimov v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility, (E.D. Cal. 2026).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 RAKHIM RASULOVICH SHOIMOV, No. 1:25-cv-1603 CSK 12 Petitioner, 13 v. ORDER 14 CHRISTOPHER CHESTNUT, Warden, California City Detention Facility, 15 Respondent. 16 17 Petitioner, a native of Uzbekistan who entered the United States on February 7, 2023, has 18 filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.1 Petitioner was initially 19 detained by immigration officials and released on his own recognizance on February 9, 2023, 20 pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226. On October 15, 2025, petitioner reported to U.S. Immigration and 21 Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) in Baltimore where he was re-detained pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 22 § 1225. Petitioner has been in continuous detention since October 15, 2025. This habeas action 23 concerns petitioner’s re-detention. For the reasons which follow, the Court grants the petition for 24 a writ of habeas corpus and orders petitioner’s immediate release. 25 /// 26 /// 27 1 The parties have consented to the jurisdiction of a United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1). (ECF No. 12.) 1 I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND2 2 Petitioner is a native of Uzbekistan. (ECF No. 1-5 at 2.) On February 7, 2023, petitioner 3 entered the United States, and a border patrol agent found petitioner approximately 29 miles west 4 of the Calexico Port of Entry and 100 yards north of the United States-Mexico border. (ECF No. 5 1-3 at 2; No. 13 at 25.) Petitioner was determined to be “an alien present in the United States,” 6 without permission from the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), was arrested on 7 February 7, 2023, and was transported to the San Diego Area Detention Facility. (ECF No. 1-3 8 at; 1-5 at 2; 13 at 25.) He was taken into custody pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226 (Section 236 of the 9 Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”)). (ECF No. 1-3 at 2; 13 at 25.) Petitioner expressed a 10 fear of returning to Uzbekistan. (ECF No. 13 at 26.) 11 On February 8, 2023, petitioner was issued a Notice to Appear on June 6, 2024 and placed 12 in removal proceedings pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1229a (INA § 240)3 as “an alien present in the 13 United States who has not been admitted or paroled” in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i) 14 (INA § 212(a)(6)(A)(i)). (ECF No. 1-5 at 2.) On February 8, 2023, petitioner was released into 15 the United States on his own recognizance, expressly pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226 (INA § 236). 16 (ECF No. 1-4 at 2.) Petitioner was issued an Order of Release on Recognizance upon conditions 17 set forth on ICE Form I-220A, which included enrollment in the Alternatives to Detention 18 (“ATD”) program. (ECF No. 1-9 at 2-4.) Petitioner was warned that failure to comply with the 19 conditions of his release “may result in revocation of [his] release and [his] arrest and detention” 20 by ICE. (Id.) Petitioner signed the I-220A form, confirming he had been read and explained the 21 form in Arabic, and had received a copy of the form. (ECF No. 1-5 at 3, 1-9 at 2.) Petitioner’s 22 Order of Release on Recognizance was not canceled. (ECF No. 1-9 at 2 (section canceling 23 release order due to failure to comply with release conditions remains blank).) 24 2 Petitioner filed a verified habeas petition, attaching various documents from his immigration 25 file, which respondent cites to in his response and does not dispute. A court “may treat the allegations of a verified ... petition [for writ of habeas corpus] as an affidavit.” L. v. Lamarque, 26 351 F.3d 919, 924 (9th Cir. 2003) (citing McElyea v. Babbitt, 833 F.2d 196, 197-98 (9th Cir. 27 1987)). 3 By contrast, petitioner was not placed in expedited removal proceedings pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 28 § 1225(b)(1) (INA § 235(b)(1)). 1 In April 2023, petitioner applied for asylum based on his political opinion, and was issued 2 a receipt notice on May 1, 2023. (ECF No. 1 at 8; 13 at 22.) 3 On June 6, 2024, which was the date petitioner was ordered to appear in the Notice to 4 Appear issued to petitioner on February 7, 2023 (ECF No. 1-5 at 2), the immigration judge closed 5 the case for failure to prosecute. (ECF No. 1 at 2; 1-6 at 2.) 6 Petitioner appeared for a routine check-in with ICE officials on October 15, 2025, and was 7 detained.4 On October 15, 2025, DHS issued petitioner a Notice to Appear and placed in removal 8 proceedings pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1229a (INA § 240) as “an alien present in the United States 9 who has not been admitted or paroled” in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i) (INA 10 § 212(a)(6)(A)(i)). (ECF No. 1-7 at 2.) This October 15, 2025 Notice to Appear did not charge 11 petitioner with violating any conditions of his release or refer to any alleged release violations. 12 Respondent submitted an unsigned declaration from Deportation Officer Samuel Medina Jr. (ECF 13 No. 13 at 16-18), claiming that petitioner was taken into custody on October 15, 2025 for ATD 14 violations, including “a missed biometric check-in” on March 3, 2023 and “failed home visits” on 15 June 15, 2023, December 27, 2024, and February 21, 2025. (ECF No. 13 at 17.5) Petitioner 16 asserts, in his verified habeas petition, that he has complied with all his release conditions. (ECF 17 No. 1 at 8.) It is not necessary to resolve this factual dispute because the issues here are the 18 statutory basis for petitioner’s re-detention and whether the requirements of the Due Process 19 Clause have been met. 20 Petitioner was ordered to appear in immigration court in Hyattsville, Maryland and show 21 cause why he should not be ordered removed. (ECF No. 1-7 at 2.) The hearing was held on 22 November 4, 2025 by video. (ECF No. 13 at 28.) At the hearing, petitioner appeared with 23 counsel and conceded the charge of removability. (Id. at 2.) Based on petitioner’s admission, the 24 4 The petition identifies the detention date as October 22, 2025 (ECF No. 1 at 3, 8), but the 25 documents and briefs submitted by both petitioner and respondent identify October 15, 2025 as the detention date (ECF No. 1-7 at 2; 13 at 2, 21; 14 at 1-2). This apparent typographical error 26 does not impact the Court’s analysis. 27 5 Though Deportation Officer Medina’s declaration is unsigned, the Court exercises its discretion to consider it where petitioner had an opportunity to object in his reply, but did not 28 object. (See ECF No. 14.) 1 immigration judge sustained the charge of removability and identified Uzbekistan as the country 2 of removal. (Id. at 2, 17.) The government has confirmed that this does not constitute a removal 3 order. (Id. at 2-3 n.3.) Petitioner’s asylum application is still pending, and if he prevails on it, he 4 will not be removed. (Id.

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Rakhim Rasulovich Shoimov v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rakhim-rasulovich-shoimov-v-christopher-chestnut-warden-california-city-caed-2026.