Legal Challenge Against Immigration Detentions Amid Routine Check-ins

Wed Nov 26 2025 17:18:22 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A lawsuit filed in California claims that recent immigration detentions during routine check-ins violate due process rights, affecting numerous immigrants in similar situations.

Chancely Fanfan, a Haitian immigrant, was arrested during a routine ICE check-in a week after receiving a letter about his court hearing. Lawyers argue that immigrants undergoing routine check-ins are being detained unlawfully. The Center for Immigration Law and Policy has highlighted a surge in arrests during check-ins in San Diego, raising concerns about due process.

SAN DIEGO (RTW News) — A week before his scheduled hearing, Chancely Fanfan received a letter instructing him to attend a routine check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following his court appearance. Instead, on October 20, the 31-year-old Haitian national was arrested along with his family, with officials providing no explanation for the detention.

Since arriving in the U.S. last year, Fanfan had attended all court hearings and ICE check-ins and had no criminal record, according to a petition filed in California's Southern District. The Center for Immigration Law and Policy, in collaboration with other human rights organizations, is challenging the recent detentions occurring when immigrants attended these appointments.

“Petitioners have had no criminal contact since their prior releases from DHS custody, and two petitioners have no criminal history of any kind,” the petition states, emphasizing the arbitrary nature of these detentions.

The lawsuit aims to address what the organizations describe as a violation of due process rights, highlighting a pattern where individuals previously deemed suitable for release are suddenly detained upon being summoned back to ICE.

This trend has reportedly intensified in San Diego since early October, with observers noting an alarming increase in arrests during check-in appointments. Many of these cases involve immigrants whose legal proceedings are now being reopened.

Despite requests for comment, the Department of Homeland Security had not responded as of Tuesday. The UCLA School of Law's Center for Immigration Law and Policy estimates that the number of such detentions in San Diego alone has exceeded 100.

The ramifications of these detentions are profound, impacting not only the individuals arrested but also their families. Legal representatives are pushing for a class certification in the lawsuit to extend the protections to other affected individuals.