Midwest
Federal judge rules ICE in Iowa illegally detained man, tried to ‘cover its tracks’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) illegally detained a man in Iowa after a court ordered his release, finding the agency had no legal authority at the time and later attempted to “cover its tracks.”
In a Jan. 2 order, U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher said ICE violated federal law when it detained Jorge Eliecer Gonzalez Ochoa on Dec. 23 because it had not yet issued a valid “Notice to Appear,” a document the court said is required to start removal proceedings and justify detention.
“It is undisputed that ICE had an arrest warrant and order to detain as of that time, but that a Notice to Appear was not issued until some unspecified time later in the day,” Locher wrote.
Although ICE later issued a Notice to Appear and thereby “cured” the initial defect, the court said the agency’s actions at the time of the arrest were unlawful and inconsistent with federal regulations.
FEDERAL JUDGE LIMITS ICE ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANT, PROBABLE CAUSE
Iowa City residents gather Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Pentacrest to protest the killing of a Minnesota woman by an ICE agent. (Jessica Rish/Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Locher sharply criticized ICE for mailing the Notice to Appear later that day rather than serving it in person while Gonzalez Ochoa was already in custody.
“In context, it appears that ICE served the Notice to Appear by regular mail to obfuscate the timing of events and suggest that it might have been issued at the same time as the arrest warrant and order to detain. In other words, ICE knew it should not have issued the arrest warrant and order to detain in the absence of a Notice to Appear but sought to ‘cover its tracks,’” the judge wrote.
“This is unacceptable. With no pending removal proceeding, and no Notice to Appear, ICE was required to allow Gonzalez Ochoa to be released at 10:00 a.m., period — not to arrest him and then scramble around later to backfill crucial missing documents in a misleading way,” he added.
FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS DHS TERMINATION OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION PAROLE PROGRAMS OVER NOTICE CONCERNS
A community member holds a sign advocating for the release of Jorge Elieser González Ochoa during a rally on the pedestrian mall in downtown Iowa City, Iowa, on Sept. 26, 2025. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The court declined to order Gonzalez Ochoa’s immediate release but ruled he is entitled to an individualized bond hearing in the Immigration Court within seven days.
WASHINGTON DEM PUSHES BILL TO BAR RECENT ICE HIRES FROM FUTURE POLICE JOBS, SLAMMING TRUMP’S ‘OCCUPYING FORCE’
Court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Gonzalez Ochoa is a native of Colombia who entered the United States after fleeing what he said were threats against him and his family. He was initially placed into immigration removal proceedings in late 2024, but they were dismissed in October 2025 at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Gonzalez Ochoa was separately indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa on Oct. 9 on charges of fraud and misuse of documents, unlawful use of immigration identification documents, and false representation of a Social Security number.
He remained in custody pending those criminal proceedings until a judge ordered his release under conditions in December, setting the stage for ICE’s subsequent detention.
Read the full article from Here
4Warn Weather – After a gorgeous Saturday, wonderful weather will continue for Metro Detroit for the second half of the weekend and into next week.
Don’t forget to check out the Blue Moon this evening; our sun sets just after 9 p.m. It’s named the Blue Moon not for color, but because it’s the second full moon of the month.
It’s also a micromoon, meaning the moon is at its farthest point from the earth that it will be all month. It will reach peak fullness at 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
Having two full moons in one month only happens once about every 2 to 3 years.
Also, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury will line up in the western sky.
If you’ll be sitting or standing outdoors for a bit, temperatures will be comfortable tonight, falling to near 60° by 10 p.m. before dropping to the low 40s to near 50° overnight.
That leads to a beautiful Sunday with sunshine and highs in the low to mid 70s.
UV levels will be in the Very High range tomorrow, so if you’ll be outside you may want to grab the sunscreen.
Southeast Michigan will continue to have plenty of sunny days into the coming week. The next chance for rain holds off until late Friday.
Highs will warm to around 80° for Monday for most areas. Closer to the shoreline you’ll find more 70s if not the 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday will feature highs back near 80° before we see mid 80s Thursday and Friday.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Jeremy Peña of the Houston Astros slides into home against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 30. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images)
HOUSTON – Christian Walker hit a three-run homer and Jeremy Peña had a home run among his three hits to help the Houston Astros roll to a 9-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
By the numbers:
Peña’s two-run shot made it 3-1 in the second and the Astros added three runs in the fifth to pull away after the Brewers got within 1. Walker’s shot to the seats in right field made it 9-2 with two outs in the eighth.
Check out the new and improved FOX Sports app
It’s the seventh win in nine games for the Astros and snaps Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak.
Houston starter Peter Lambert (4-4) allowed five hits and two runs with three walks in five innings for the win.
Milwaukee’s Brandon Sproat (1-4) permitted six hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings.
William Contreras gave the Brewers an early lead with a two-out RBI double in the first.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Cam Smith was on second base with one out in the second when he scored on a single by Jake Meyers to tie it.
The home run by Peña came with two outs in the inning to put the Astros on top 3-1.
Garrett Mitchell walked to start the fifth and moved to second on a wild pitch by Lambert with one out. Christian Yelich walked with two outs before the Brewers cut the lead to 3-2 on an RBI single by Jackson Chourio.
The Astros had runners on first and third with one out in the fifth after Sproat hit Walker with a pitch. Sproat was replaced by Carlos Rodriguez and Taylor Trammell hit an infield RBI single to make it 4-2.
Isaac Paredes then doubled to left field to score two more and put the Astros up 6-2.
What’s next:
Houston RHP Tatsuya Imai (2-2, 6.17 ERA), who was the starter in a combined no-hitter his last time out, starts in the series finale Sunday against RHP Jacob Misiorowski (5-2, 1.83).
The Source: The Associated Press provided this report.
Minneapolis, MN
Friends, family and community gather to honor Officer Jamal Mitchell with street dedication
A Minneapolis street will forever serve to honor the police officer who lost his life on it. A portion of Blaisdell Avenue is now called “Officer Jamal Mitchell Way.”
Two years ago, Officer Mitchell was shot and killed while responding to an active shooter. The man who murdered him was the person Officer Mitchell was trying to help.
Mitchell’s friends, family, and community gathered on Saturday to make sure his name is remembered.
“He is emblematic of everything that Minneapolis is about,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “This is someone who lived his life in service to those he loved — a hero, who gave his life to protect others without a second thought.”
“May every person who passes this sign take a moment to reflect on the example Jamal Mitchell set for all of us,” said Katie Blackwell, Interim Chief of Minneapolis Police. “Jamal, we will never forget you.”
“Man, do we miss him,” said friend and neighbor Chris Dunker. “Our backyard barbecues, our game nights, even just conversations, Jamal, with you in your front yard as you were playing with your kids.”
“Jamal, my friend, we miss you daily. We admire your bravery, we honor your legacy, we will never forget your sacrifice to this community,” said Dunker. “Rest easy, brother.”
Mitchell was awarded the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart after his death in 2024. His former commander says Mitchell’s name on the street sign reminds us we are the fabric of each other.
-
Technology9 minutes agoWelcome to Night Vale host Cecil Baldwin shares his tech pet peeves
-
World12 minutes agoMoscow, Taliban forge military alliance in power grab after US Afghanistan exit: reports
-
Politics17 minutes agoTrump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out
-
Health24 minutes agoCancer survivors may see surprising benefits from one specific exercise, study says
-
Sports27 minutes agoPSG Champions League victory causes chaos in Paris, with 45 arrested and fires set across city
-
Technology32 minutes agoWill this high-tech lounge change how you wait at airports?
-
Business39 minutes agoStruggling Carls Jr. franchisee plans to close 10 and sell 49 California locations
-
Entertainment42 minutes agoDid the outcome of World War II depend on the weather? Separating fact from fiction in ‘Pressure’
