A major shift in U.S. immigration enforcement is unfolding, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eliminates bond hearings for undocumented immigrants—marking one of the most consequential changes to detention policy under the Trump administration to date. The move, detailed in a July memorandum from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, effectively transfers the authority to release migrants from immigration judges to ICE officials alone.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Trump administration

“This is about closing loopholes and enforcing the law as written,” said Lyons, referencing Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which the agency is now interpreting as allowing mandatory detention for anyone not formally admitted into the United States. Under the new policy, immigrants apprehended after irregular entry will no longer be entitled to seek bond before a judge, but must instead rely on the agency itself to grant parole—a discretionary and often rare process.

Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act

The impact is expected to be sweeping. Legal advocates estimate that hundreds of thousands could face prolonged detention without the possibility of judicial review. “This fundamentally reshapes the due process landscape in immigration court,” said Claudia Martinez, a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney. “People who’ve lived here for years, with families and roots in the U.S., are now being detained indefinitely, without a judge ever hearing their case.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a significant funding boost for immigration enforcement. The law dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed by President Donald Trump on Independence Day, allocates $45 billion to ICE for detention expenses and an additional $14 billion to expand local enforcement partnerships. Among its provisions is the expedited construction of detention facilities, such as a 3,000-bed center recently completed in southern Florida’s Everglades region after just over a week of development.

One Big Beautiful Bill

President Donald Trump

“We’re enforcing the law swiftly and humanely,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who credited the administration’s funding package with enabling “a new era in border and interior enforcement.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

Alongside policy shifts, enforcement actions on the ground have escalated. Across communities in California, reports of coordinated ICE raids and arrests are emerging. In some cases, immigrants are being detained at courthouses or workplaces. Advocates warn that these efforts, paired with recent cuts to Medicaid at the state level, are compounding vulnerabilities for undocumented families.

Medicaid

“Many are afraid to seek medical care or show up at court,” said Lena Patel, director of a migrant support nonprofit in Bakersfield. “And now, when they are detained, they have no meaningful way to fight for release.”

In response, networks of volunteers—including lawyers, retired judges, and faith leaders—are organizing to accompany detainees during legal proceedings. At immigration courts from New York to Phoenix, volunteers say their presence is both symbolic and practical. “We can’t change the outcome, but we can ensure someone isn’t facing this process alone,” said Father Miguel Ortega, who has attended nearly a dozen hearings this month with families facing separation.

New York

Phoenix

Cultural stories have begun to emerge as well. In Los Angeles, chef Wes Avila, known for his fusion tacos, has taken to preparing traditional family recipes as a way to cope with the climate of fear surrounding the raids. “Cooking feels like resistance right now,” Avila said. “It reminds me where I come from when everything else feels upside down.”

Wes Avila

Legal organizations are preparing challenges to the bond policy, calling it a likely violation of due process. Previous court rulings have affirmed detained immigrants’ right to seek bond in certain situations, and advocacy groups have signaled their intent to challenge the new directive in federal court.

The policy changes and enforcement surge form a central part of President Trump’s reelection platform, which promises to “restore sovereignty” and execute mass deportations. Speaking from Milwaukee last week, the president reinforced his stance, stating, “We’re bringing law and order back to the border and back to our communities.”

President Trump’s reelection platform

Milwaukee

As of July 21, implementation of the new ICE protocol is underway in multiple states, with expanded detention capacities coming online and bond hearings already being denied under the revised interpretation. Immigration lawyers and advocates warn that unless checked by the courts, the measure will mark the most stringent restriction on immigrants’ legal recourse in decades.