San Francisco, California — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from conducting immigration arrests at courthouses in Northern California, delivering another legal setback to federal efforts aimed at expanding enforcement inside judicial buildings. U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 2025 courthouse arrest policy was “arbitrary and capricious” and failed to comply with federal rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act.
In a Christmas Eve decision, Pitts said ICE did not adequately justify why broader courthouse arrests were necessary, nor did it logically connect its stated enforcement goals with the real-world consequences of the policy. He also highlighted what he called a “chilling effect” on immigrants, warning that fear of arrest could deter asylum-seekers and others from attending their own court hearings.
“ICE cannot ignore the costs of its policies while emphasizing only enforcement benefits,” Pitts wrote, pointing to due process concerns and reduced participation in removal proceedings. The ruling applies only to ICE’s San Francisco area of responsibility but deepens a growing divide among federal courts.
Earlier this year, a federal judge in New York upheld similar ICE policies, creating a legal split that could eventually draw Supreme Court review. Pitts explicitly rejected that ruling, saying ICE’s justification amounted to little more than acknowledging older guidance without meaningful analysis.
The decision follows similar actions by Democratic-controlled jurisdictions, including New York and Cook County, Illinois, which have moved to block courthouse arrests. The Trump administration has argued such restrictions interfere with federal authority, but courts have increasingly sided with local governments on constitutional and procedural grounds.
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