Rosalina Flores v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility

District Court, E.D. California·Decided February 24, 2026·No. 1:26-cv-00078·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 ROSALINA FLORES, No. 1:26-cv-0078 TLN CSK 12 Petitioner, 13 v. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14 CHRISTOPHER CHESTNUT, Warden, California City Detention Facility, 15 Respondent. 16 17 Petitioner, a native of El Salvador, is proceeding through counsel with a petition for writ 18 of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Petitioner and her then 15-year-old daughter 19 entered the United States on or around August 4, 2019. (ECF No. 1 at 4-5.) Petitioner was 20 initially detained, underwent a credible fear interview with an asylum officer, and was found to be 21 credible and to have a credible fear of persecution. (ECF Nos. 12-10, 1-8, 12-4.) On August 18, 22 2019, petitioner was released on parole. (ECF No. 12-11.) On October 25, 2025, petitioner 23 reported to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) in San Francisco as ordered 24 and was re-detained without explanation. (ECF No. 1 at 5.) This habeas action concerns 25 petitioner’s re-detention. For the following reasons, this Court recommends granting the petition 26 for a writ of habeas corpus and ordering petitioner’s immediate release. 27 /// 28 /// 1 I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND1 2 Petitioner is a native of El Salvador. (ECF No. 1-6.) In August 2019, petitioner and her 3 minor daughter entered the United States, and were detained by ICE on August 4, 2019. (See 4 ECF No. 1-8 at 2 (listing 8/4/2019 as date of detention); ECF No. 12-11.) On August 8, 2019, an 5 asylum officer conducted a credible fear interview of petitioner, finding that petitioner was 6 credible and had a credible fear of persecution. (ECF No. 1-8 at 5-6.) On this same date, a 7 Notice to Appear issued placing petitioner in standard removal proceedings pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 8 § 1229a (Immigration & Nationality Act (“INA”) § 240)2 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)), and not having proper documents in violation of 8 U.S.C. 11 § 1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(1) (INA § 212(7)(A)(i)(I)). (ECF No. 12-4 at 1.) The Notice also stated it was 12 issued “after an asylum officer has found that the respondent has demonstrated a credible fear of 13 persecution or torture.” (Id.) The date of appearance noted “TBD.” (Id.) On August 18, 2019, 14 petitioner was released from ICE custody and paroled into the United States pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 15 § 1182(d)(5)(A) with certain conditions. (ECF No. 12-11.) 16 After her parole expired, on June 7, 2021, petitioner was issued a Notice to Appear on 17 August 2, 2021, again placing petitioner in standard removal proceedings pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 18 § 1229a (INA § 240), based on the same alleged violations as set forth in the previous notice, and 19 again stated it was issued “after an asylum officer has found that the respondent has demonstrated 20 a credible fear of persecution or torture.” (ECF No. 1-4 at 2; ECF No. 12-2 at 1.) The June 7, 21 2021 notice did not charge petitioner with violating any conditions of her release or refer to any 22 alleged release violations, and identified petitioner as “an alien present in the United States who 23 1 Petitioner filed a verified habeas petition, attaching various documents from her immigration 24 file, which respondents cite to in their response and do not dispute. (See ECF No. 8.) A court “may treat the allegations of a verified . . . petition [for writ of habeas corpus] as an affidavit.” L. 25 v. Lamarque, 351 F.3d 919, 924 (9th Cir. 2003) (citing McElyea v. Babbitt, 833 F.2d 196, 197-98 (9th Cir. 1987)). 26 2 By contrast, standard removal proceedings are different from expedited removal proceedings 27 pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1) (INA § 235(b)(1)). Respondents do not assert that petitioner is subject to expedited removal proceedings. (See ECF No. 8.) 28 1 has not been admitted or paroled,” not as an arriving alien. (Id.) 2 Petitioner timely applied for asylum and for withholding of removal, and her application 3 was received on August 20, 2021.3 (ECF Nos. 1 at 5, 1-7 at 2-3.) On November 1, 2022, 4 petitioner was notified that she and her daughter were scheduled for an in-person hearing on 5 October 21, 2025. (ECF No. 12-3 at 1-2.) On September 9, 2025, both petitioner and her 6 daughter were scheduled for an individual hearing in immigration court for August 8, 2028, 7 noting “reset from Oct. 21, 2025.” (ECF Nos. 1 at 5, 1-5; ECF No. 12-1.) The purpose of the 8 August 2028 hearing was to adjudicate the pending asylum applications, which were based on 9 their past persecution and fear of return to El Salvador. (Id.) 10 However, on or around October 24, 2025, ICE ordered petitioner to appear at the ICE 11 office in San Francisco on Saturday, October 25, 2025.4 (ECF No. 1 at 5.) No reason was given. 12 (Id.) Petitioner was unable to contact her attorney beforehand due to the short notice provided. 13 (Id.) 14 On October 25, 2025, petitioner reported to ICE as required and was detained without any 15 explanation. (ECF No. 1 at 5, 6; ECF No. 12-5 at 1 (arrest warrant).) Due to petitioner’s 16 detention, her case was severed from her daughter’s case, and on October 28, 2025, petitioner’s 17 daughter was issued notice of her individual hearing before the immigration court on August 8, 18 2028. (ECF No. 1 at 6; ECF No. 1-5 at 3-4.) 19 Petitioner, through counsel, sought a custody redetermination under 8 C.F.R. § 1236. 20 (ECF No. 1 at 6.) On December 8, 2025, an immigration judge denied petitioner’s request 21 because the immigration judge concluded that it lacked jurisdiction over a bond proceeding, 22 citing Matter of Yajure Hurtado, 29 I. & N. Dec. 216 (BIA 2025). (ECF No. 1-3 at 4; ECF No. 23 12-7 at 4.) The immigration judge also found that because the district court order in Maldonado 24 3 The request for asylum was accompanied by counsel’s notice that petitioner and her daughter 25 were members of the class action Mendez Rojas v. Wolf, No. 2:16-cv-01024-RSM (W.D. Wash. July 28, 2020), which would make her asylum application timely. (ECF No. 1-7 at 5.) 26 4 Neither party provided a copy of this notice, if it was provided in writing. Respondents stated 27 they “do not appear to have documentary evidence of a notice requiring the petitioner to appear on October 25, 2025.” (ECF No. 12 at 1.) 28 1 Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 5:25-cv-1873 SSS BFM (C.D. Cal. Nov. 20, 2025), was not a final 2 judgment and had no “binding effect,” the Hurtado case remained in effect, depriving the 3 immigration court of jurisdiction. (Id.) 4 On December 9, 2025, petitioner was notified that her asylum case is set for video hearing 5 before an immigration judge on April 3, 2026. (ECF No. 1-5 at 2.) 7 On January 5, 2026, petitioner filed her petition for writ of habeas corpus. (ECF No. 1.) 8 On January 7, 2026, the district court ordered petitioner to file a motion for temporary restraining 9 order if she sought immediate relief. (ECF No. 3.) No motion was filed.

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Rosalina Flores v. Christopher Chestnut, Warden, California City Detention Facility, (E.D. Cal. 2026).

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