DOJ says it erroneously relied on ICE memo justifying immigration courthouse arrests

The Justice Department acknowledged it made a "factual error" in defending the Trump administration's policy allowing ICE to arrest migrants at immigration courthouse hearings, prompting a federal judge to order preservation of all related records. The admission came during litigation challenging whether such arrests—which critics say intimidate immigrants from appearing for their hearings—are legally permissible under current immigration enforcement practices. Judge Kevin Castel's preservation order signals the court is taking the DOJ's error seriously and suggests the litigation over courthouse arrest authority may hinge on what documents the government relied upon to justify the practice. The case touches on a contentious debate over immigration enforcement: whether arresting people at courthouses deters migrants from seeking legal remedies and undermines the judicial process. The error may weaken the government's legal position in defending the arrests going forward.