Yaky Howard Mejia Soto v. Reggie Radar, et al.

District Court, D. Nevada·Decided December 11, 2025·No. 2:25-cv-02281·Unknown

Opinion

* * *

YAKY HOWARD MEJIA SOTO, Case No. 2:25-cv-02281-RFB-EJY

Petitioner, ORDER

v.

REGGIE RADAR, et al., Respondents.

This case is one of a rapidly growing number before this Court challenging the federal government’s reading of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to authorize mandatory detention of all noncitizens charged with entering the United States without inspection.1 The 1 This Court has already granted petitioners relief—both preliminary and on the merits— in forty-two similar challenges. See Escobar Salgado v. Mattos, No. 2:25-cv-01872-RFB- EJY 2025 WL 3205356 (D. Nev. Nov. 17, 2025); see also Herrera v. Knight, No. 2:25-CV-01366- RFB-DJA, 2025 WL 2581792 (D. Nev. Sept. 5, 2025); Vazquez v. Feeley, No. 2:25-CV-01542- RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 2676082 (D. Nev. Sept. 17, 2025); Roman v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01684- RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 2710211 (D. Nev. Sept. 23, 2025); Carlos v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01900- RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 2896156 (D. Nev. Oct. 10, 2025); E.C. v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01789-RFB- BNW, 2025 WL 2916264 (D. Nev. Oct. 14, 2025); Perez Sanchez v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-CV- 01921-RFB-MDC (D. Nev. Oct. 17, 2025); Aparicio v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01919-RFB-DJA, 2025 WL 2998098 (D. Nev. Oct. 23, 2025); Dominguez-Lara v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01553-RFB- EJY, 2025 WL 2998094 (D. Nev. Oct. 24, 2025); Bautista-Avalos v. Bernacke, 2:25-CV-01987- RFB-BNW (D. Nev. Oct 27, 2025); Arce-Cervera v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-01895-RFB-NJK, 2025 WL 3017866 (D. Nev. Oct. 28, 2025); Alvarado Gonzalez v. Mattos, No. 2:25-CV-01599-RFB- NJK (D. Nev. Oct. 30, 2025); Rodriguez Cabrera v. Mattos, No. 2:25-cv-01551-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3072687 (D. Nev. Nov. 3, 2025); Berto Mendez v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02602-RFB-MDC, 2025 WL 3124285 (D. Nev. Nov. 7, 2025); Cornejo-Mejia v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-02139-RFB- executive branch now takes the position that the INA, specifically 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A), requires the detention of all undocumented individuals during the pendency of their removal proceedings, which can take months or years. According to this interpretation, detention without a hearing is mandatary, no matter how long a noncitizen has resided in the country, and without any due process to ensure the government has a legitimate, individualized interest in detaining them. According to a leaked internal memo, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ) adopted this new legal position on a nationwide basis on July 8, 2025.2 It subjects millions of undocumented U.S. residents to prolonged detention

BNW, 2025 WL 3222482 (D. Nev. Nov. 18, 2025); Lucero Ortiz v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-01833- RFB-NJK, 2025 WL 3237291 (D. Nev. Nov. 19, 2025); Perez Sales v. Mattos, No. 2:25-cv-01819- RFB-BNW, 2025 WL 3237366 (D. Nev. Nov. 19, 2025); Hernandez Duran v. Bernacke, No. 2:25- cv-02105-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3237451 (D. Nev. Nov. 19, 2025); Cabrera-Cortes v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-01976-RFB-MDC, 2025 WL 3240971 (D. Nev. Nov. 20, 2025); Jacobo Ramirez v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02136-RFB-MDC, 2025 WL 3270137 (D. Nev. Nov. 24, 2025); Garcia- Arauz v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02117-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3470902 (D. Nev. Dec. 3, 2025); Silva Hernandez v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02304-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3470903 (D. Nev. Dec. 3, 2025); Reyes Cristobal v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-02231-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3485770 (D. Nev. Dec. 4, 2025); Carrillo Fernandez v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02221-RFB-BNW, 2025 WL 3485800 (D. Nev. Dec. 4, 2025); Pilar Torres v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-02270-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3514615 (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Nolasco-Gomez v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02217-RFB-DJA, 2025 WL 3514758 (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Ramirez-Contreras v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02218-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3514681 (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Rodas v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02216-RFB-BNW, 2025 WL 3514680 (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Perdomo-Gonzalez v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-02121-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3514758 (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Hernandez Isidoro v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-02312- RFB-NJK (D. Nev. Dec. 8, 2025); Serrano Gonzalez v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02081-RFB-BNW (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Morales Rondon v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-01979-RFB-BNW (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Marquez v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02203-RFB-NJK (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Flores- Garcia v. Bernacke, No. 3:25-cv-00688-RFB-CSD (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Serrano Gonzalez v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02081-RFB-BNW, 2025 WL 3524774 (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Morales Rondon v. Bernacke, No. 2:25-cv-01979-RFB-BNW, 2025 WL 3527246 (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Marquez v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02203-RFB-NJK, 2025 WL 3527244 (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Flores-Garcia v. Bernacke, No. 3:25-cv-00688-RFB-CSD, 2025 WL 3527247 (D. Nev. Dec. 9, 2025); Garcia Soto v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02138-RFB-BNW (D. Nev. Dec. 10, 2025); Quinonez Orosco v. Lyons, No. 2:25-cv-02240-RFB-EJY (D. Nev. Dec. 10, 2025); Salguero v. DHS, No. 2:25-cv-02328-RFB-NJK (D. Nev. Dec. 10, 2025); Gallegos Rangel v. Knight, No. 2:25-cv-02161 (D. Nev. Dec. 10, 2025). 2 See ICE Memo: Interim Guidance Regarding Detention Authority for Applications for Admission, AILA Doc. No. 25071607 (July 8, 2025), https://perma.cc/5GKM-JYGX. without the opportunity for release on bond, in contravention of decades of agency practice and robust due process protections hitherto afforded to such residents under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a).3 On September 5, 2025, the Bureau of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a precedential decision adopting this new interpretation of the government’s detention authority under the INA. See Matter of Yajure Hurtado, 29 I&N Dec. 216 (BIA 2025) (“Hurtado”). After Hurtado, immigration judges no longer have authority to hear bond requests or grant bond to noncitizens present in the U.S. who entered without inspection. Id. The overwhelming majority of district courts across the country, including this Court, that have considered the government’s new statutory interpretation have found it incorrect and unlawful. See Escobar Salgado v. Mattos, No. 2:25-CV-01872-RFB-EJY, 2025 WL 3205356 (D. Nev. Nov. 17, 2025) (finding “that the plain meaning of the relevant statutory provisions, when interpreted according to fundamental canons of statutory construction,” as well as the legislative history and decades of consistent agency practice establish “that the government's new interpretation and policy under [§ 1225(b)(2)(A)] is unlawful.”); see also Barco Mercado v. Francis, No. 1:25-CV-06852, at *9-10 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 26, 2025) (collecting over 350 decisions by over 160 different district judges finding the application of §1225(b)(2)(A) to noncitizens residing in the United States unlawful). A nationwide class has also been certified, and declaratory relief granted to all class members holding that they are being detained without a bond hearing unlawfully. See Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 5:25-CV-01873-SSS-BFM, 2025 WL 3289861 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 20, 2025); Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 5:25-CV-01873-SSS-BFM, 2025 WL 3288403 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 25, 2025). Petitioner is currently detained without the opportunity for release on bond in the custody of Federal Respondents at Henderson Detention Center, pursuant to this new detention “policy.” He asserts the application of § 1225(b)(2) to him is unlawful under the INA, and his continued detention violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. He seeks a writ of habeas 3 See Kyle Cheney & Myah Ward, Trump’s new detention policy targets millions of immigrants. Judges keep saying its illegal., Politico (Sept. 20, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. EDT), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/20/ice-detention-immigration-policy-00573850, https://perma.cc/L686-E97L. corpus requiring that he be released unless Respondents provide him with a bond hearing under § 1226(a) within seven days of the Court’s Order. For the reasons set forth bel

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Yaky Howard Mejia Soto v. Reggie Radar, et al., (D. Nev. 2025).

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