A federal court in Washington, D.C., has blocked a new ICE policy that would have automatically transferred immigrant teens to adult detention upon turning 18, reinforcing protections for vulnerable youth.
Washington, D.C., December 12, 2025 — A federal court in Washington, D.C., has issued a ruling that mandates U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to adhere to a long-standing court order designed to protect immigrant teens from being placed in adult detention facilities. This decision effectively blocks a controversial new ICE policy that aimed to automatically transfer unaccompanied children into adult detention once they reached the age of 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 later with family members or guardians.
This ruling enforces a permanent injunction established in the 2021 case of Garcia Ramirez v. ICE, which requires ICE to fulfill its statutory obligations by considering the least restrictive setting available for every unaccompanied child who turns 18. Furthermore, it mandates 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. “This ruling makes clear that ICE cannot secretly flout the law or blatantly ignore court orders,” she stated. “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.”
The new policy, which was published on October 1, instructed shelters and attorneys that all unaccompanied children turning 18 would be transferred to adult detention, regardless of whether they had safe homes and sponsors ready to receive them. Critics argue that adult detention poses significant risks to the short- and long-term development of these teenagers. Currently, ICE is holding a record number of individuals in detention, leading to overcrowding and inhumane conditions, including inadequate medical care, abusive treatment, and limited access to legal and psychological assistance.
The court found that the automatic transfer of teens into adult detention, without consideration of safer, age-appropriate alternatives, constitutes a violation of the law.
Mark Fleming, associate director of federal litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center, echoed the importance of the ruling. “Today’s ruling sends a powerful message: ICE can’t put teenagers in dangerous, overcrowded facilities just because they turned 18,” he said. “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 compels ICE to immediately cease following its October 1 guidance and to release anyone who was placed in detention as a result of this policy.
For further details, refer to the court order and the opinion released by the court.
This ruling marks a significant victory for advocates of immigrant rights and underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable youth from harmful detention practices, according to the American Immigration Council.