On December 12, 2025, a federal court in Washington, D.C., ruled against a new ICE policy that unlawfully detained immigrant teens transitioning to adulthood.
Washington, D.C., December 12, 2025 — A federal court in Washington, D.C., has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to adhere to a long-standing court order that safeguards immigrant teens from being placed in adult detention centers. This ruling blocks a recent ICE policy that aimed to automatically transfer unaccompanied minors into adult detention upon turning 18.
The court’s order specifically pertains to children who entered the United States as unaccompanied minors and who “age out” of the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The ORR is the federal program responsible for the care of unaccompanied children, which includes placing them in shelters and eventually with family or guardians.
This decision reinforces a 2021 permanent injunction established in the case of Garcia Ramirez v. ICE, which mandates that ICE must comply with statutory obligations by considering the least restrictive setting available for every unaccompanied child who turns 18. Furthermore, it requires that all age-outs be eligible for alternatives to detention.
Suchita Mathur, a senior litigation attorney with the American Immigration Council, emphasized the significance of the ruling, stating, “This ruling makes clear that ICE cannot secretly flout the law or blatantly ignore court orders. ICE tried to detain newly-18-year-olds as a matter of course. These are kids that ICE officers have found, in almost all cases, do not pose a danger or flight risk, with sponsors, families, and community support waiting for them. This decision puts a stop to that.”
Under a new policy implemented on October 1, ICE informed shelters and attorneys that all unaccompanied children turning 18 would be transferred to adult detention, even if they had safe homes and sponsors ready to receive them. This practice poses significant risks to the teenagers’ short- and long-term development. Currently, ICE is holding a record number of individuals in detention, contributing to overcrowding and inhumane conditions, including inadequate medical care, abusive treatment, and limited access to legal and psychological support. The court found that automatically sending teens into adult detention, without considering safer, age-appropriate alternatives, constitutes a violation of the law.
Mark Fleming, associate director of federal litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center, remarked, “Today’s ruling sends a powerful message: ICE can’t put teenagers in dangerous, overcrowded facilities just because they turned 18. There are safer, lawful options that keep young people connected to school, family, and community. That’s what the law requires, and that’s what this order restores.”
The court’s ruling mandates that ICE immediately cease following its October 1 guidance and remove anyone who was placed in detention as a result of this policy.
For further details, the court order and opinion can be accessed through the appropriate legal channels.
This article is based on information from the American Immigration Council.