US court rejects mandatory detention of migrants without bail

Federal Judge Sunshine Sykes of the District Court in Riverside, California, overturned a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals that supported the Trump administration's policy of mandatory detention of thousands of migrants without the possibility of applying for release on bail.

She concluded that the government had failed to comply with her previous ruling, which had declared the practice unlawful.

Wednesday's ruling concerns a class action lawsuit filed by migrants from across the country and has a broader impact than several previous verdicts by other judges. Sykes criticized the administration for continuing to deny bail hearings, saying it had overstepped the bounds of constitutional conduct.

The ruling means that immigration judges can no longer automatically deny bail requests based on the board's opinion. The controversial policy was based on an interpretation that foreigners already living in the US are also considered "applicants for entry," which led to their mandatory detention.

Sykes had already ruled the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful in December and has now overturned the board's decision supporting it.

(reuters, max)