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Federal judge orders ICE to retrain officers after finding repeated violations of arrest rules

May 15, 2026 · Denver, CO

Federal judge orders ICE to retrain officers after finding repeated violations of arrest rules

A federal judge in Colorado ruled that ICE agents repeatedly violated a November 2025 preliminary injunction requiring them to follow federal law when making warrantless arrests. The court found that ICE failed to properly train agents on requirements to document flight risk assessments before arrest, with agents receiving only minimal instruction such as emails with no formal training. Arrest forms universally failed to comply with the court order. The judge ordered ICE to develop and conduct training within 45 days on complying with federal law and the court order, prohibited agents from making warrantless arrests if they failed to complete the training, and required ICE to improve documentation and pay attorneys' fees. The court documented that ICE arrested people without determining flight risk, including U.S. citizens' family members, longtime residents, and asylum seekers in legal processes.

Timeline

May 12, 2026Federal judge ruled that ICE agents repeatedly violated the preliminary injunction; found agents received minimal training on compliance requirements and arrest forms universally failed to comply with court order
May 12, 2026Judge ordered ICE to develop and conduct training within 45 days on complying with federal law and the court order, prohibited agents from making warrantless arrests if they failed to complete training, required improved documentation and payment of attorneys' fees
Nov 1, 2025Federal judge issued preliminary injunction requiring ICE agents to follow federal law when making warrantless arrests and determine flight risk before arrest

Sources

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