On December 12, 2025, a federal court in Washington, D.C., ruled against ICE’s policy of detaining immigrant teens as they turn 18, reinforcing protections for unaccompanied minors.
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 mandated the automatic transfer of unaccompanied children to adult detention facilities upon turning 18.
The court’s order specifically addresses 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 members or guardians.
This federal court decision reinforces a permanent injunction established in the 2021 case of Garcia Ramirez v. ICE. The injunction requires ICE to fulfill its statutory obligations by considering the least restrictive setting available for every unaccompanied child who turns 18, ensuring that all age-outs are eligible for alternatives to detention.
Suchita Mathur, a senior litigation attorney with the American Immigration Council, commented on 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.”
The controversial 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 the availability of safe homes and sponsors. Critics argue that adult detention poses significant risks to the teenagers’ short- and long-term development. Currently, ICE is holding a record number of individuals in detention, leading to overcrowded and dehumanizing conditions, including inadequate medical care, abusive treatment, and limited access to legal and psychological support. The court determined that the automatic transfer of teens to adult detention, without evaluating safer, age-appropriate alternatives, constitutes a violation of the law.
Mark Fleming, associate director of federal litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center, emphasized the importance of the ruling, stating, “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 that policy.
For further details, read the court order and the opinion.
This ruling marks a significant step in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the treatment of unaccompanied minors in the United States, reinforcing the need for humane and lawful practices in immigration enforcement, according to the American Immigration Council.