Satnam Singh v. Warden of the Golden State Annex Detention Facility

• Court: District Court, E.D. California
• Decided: January 23, 2026
• Docket: 1:26-cv-00436
• Status: Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 10 SATNAM SINGH, No. 1:26-cv-00436 DAD SCR 11 Petitioner, 12 v. ORDER 13 WARDEN OF THE GOLDEN STATE ANNEX DETENTION FACILITY, 14 Respondent. 15 16 Petitioner, an immigration detainee who is representing himself, filed a petition for a writ 17 of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and a motion to proceed in forma pauperis. 18 Examination of the in forma pauperis application reveals that petitioner is unable to afford the 19 costs of suit. Accordingly, the application to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. See 28 U.S.C. 20 § 1915(a). 21 The court has conducted a preliminary review of the petition pursuant to Rule 4 of the 22 Rules Governing Habeas Corpus Cases Under Section 2254.1 Because petitioner may be entitled 23 to the requested relief if the claimed violation of constitutional rights is proved, respondent will 24 be directed to show cause why the writ should not be granted by filing an answer/return within 7 25 days from the date of this order. See 28 U.S.C. § 2243. Petitioner may file a reply/traverse to the 26

27 1 Rule 1(b) of the Rules Governing Habeas Corpus Cases Under Section 2254 allows a district court to apply any or all of the rules to other types of habeas corpus petitions including § 2241 28 petitions. 1 | answer/return within 3 days after being served a copy of it. 2 In light of the expedited nature of the briefing schedule set in this matter, the court will 3 | defer ruling on petitioner’s motion to appoint counsel (ECF No. 3) at this juncture. Once the 4 | briefing deadlines have expired, the court will rule on the motion for the appointment of counsel 5 | and resolve the pending § 2241 petition as expeditiously as possible. 6 In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 7 1. Petitioner’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 2) is granted. 8 2. Respondent is directed to file an answer/return within 7 days from the date of this 9 | order. If an answer/return is filed, respondent shall include with the answer/return any and all 10 | transcripts or other documents relevant to the determination of the issues presented in the 11 | application. 12 3. Petitioner’s reply/traverse, if any, is due within 3 days after being served a copy of 13 | respondent’s answer/return. 14 4. Absent a further order of the court, the petition will be taken under submission 15 | after the filing of the reply/traverse. 16 5. The Clerk of the Court shall serve a copy of this order together with a copy of 17 | petitioner’s application for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 on the United 18 || States Attorney. 19 6. In order to ensure this court’s jurisdiction to resolve the pending § 2241 petition, 20 || respondent shall not transfer petitioner to another detention center outside of this judicial district, 21 | pending further order of the court. See 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a) (establishing the All Writs Act which 22 || empowers the federal courts to “issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective 23 | jurisdictions....”); see also F.T.C. v. Dean Foods Co., 384 U.S. 597, 604 (1966) (emphasizing that 24 | federal courts have the power to “to preserve the court’s jurisdiction or maintain the status quo by 25 | injunction pending review of an agency’s action”). 26 | Dated: January 22, 2026 mk 27 yf ¢ SEAN C. RIORDAN 28 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE