Eastern District of California • 1:26-cv-00296

#1

Jan 14, 2026

PETITION for WRIT of HABEAS CORPUS against Sergio Albarran, Pamela Bondi, Todd Lyons, Kristi Noem, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Minga Wofford by Rohit Pathania. (Filing fee $ 5, receipt number ACAEDC-12762196) (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet)(Chan, Connie) (Entered: 01/14/2026)

#2

Jan 14, 2026

MOTION for TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER by Rohit Pathania. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum, # 2 Declaration, # 3 Proposed Order)(Chan, Connie) (Entered: 01/14/2026)

#3

Jan 14, 2026

Prisoner New Case Documents for Magistrate Judge as Presider

#4

Jan 14, 2026

MINUTE ORDER signed by District Judge Dale A. Drozd on 1/14/2026: (Text Only Entry).Pending the issuance of the courts order resolving the pending 2 motion for temporary restraining order, and unless and until the court orders otherwise, the court ORDERS that respondents shall not take any action to remove petitioner from the United States or to move petitioner out of the Eastern District of California. See F.T.C. v. Dean Foods Co., 384 U.S. 597, 604 (1966) (acknowledging the courts express authority under the All Writs Act to issue such temporary injunctions as may be necessary to protect its own jurisdiction). Given the exigent circumstances present, the court finds that this order is warranted to maintain the status quo pending its forthcoming order resolving petitioner's pending 2 motion for temporary restraining order. Further, no later than tomorrow, 1/15/2026, by 5:00 PM, petitioner's counsel is DIRECTED (1) to serve respondents with a copy of the petition, motion for temporary restraining order, and accompanying papers, along with this order, to the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California by email at usacae.ecf2241-imm@usdoj.gov; and (2) to promptly file proof of such service on the docket. Counsel for respondents shall promptly enter Notices of Appearance. Respondents shall file a written opposition to the pending 2 motion for temporary restraining order by 5:00 PM on Friday, 1/16/2026. In that opposition, respondents shall substantively address whether any provision of law or fact in this case would distinguish it from this courts decision in Ayala Cajina v. Wofford, No. 1:25-cv-01566-DAD-AC (HC), 2025 WL 3251083 (E.D. Cal. Nov. 21, 2025), and other similar cases previously decided by this court, or otherwise indicate that the matter is not substantively distinguishable. If the parties were to jointly agree upon a less demanding briefing schedule, the court will consider the parties proposal. (Deputy Clerk CGH) (Entered: 01/14/2026)

Jan 14, 2026

Minute Order

#5

Jan 15, 2026

Certificate / Proof of Service

#6

Jan 15, 2026

DESIGNATION of COUNSEL FOR SERVICE. Added attorney Audrey Benison Hemesath, GOVT for All Respondents. (Hemesath, Audrey) Modified on 1/16/2026 (HAH). (Entered: 01/15/2026)

#7

Jan 16, 2026

DESIGNATION of COUNSEL FOR SERVICE. Added attorney Jonathan Yu, GOVT for All Respondents. Attorney Audrey Benison Hemesath, GOVT terminated. (Yu, Jonathan) Modified on 1/16/2026 (HAH). (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#8

Jan 16, 2026

REPLY by Sergio Albarran, Pamela Bondi, Todd Lyons, Kristi Noem, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Minga Wofford re 2 Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, 4 Minute Order,,,,,,,,. (Yu, Jonathan) (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#9

Jan 16, 2026

CONSENT/DECLINE of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1), this document is restricted to attorneys and court staff only. Judges do not have access to view this document and will be informed of a party's response only if all parties have consented to the referral. (Chan, Connie) (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#10

Jan 18, 2026

CONSENT/DECLINE of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1), this document is restricted to attorneys and court staff only. Judges do not have access to view this document and will be informed of a party's response only if all parties have consented to the referral. (Yu, Jonathan) (Entered: 01/18/2026)

#11

Jan 19, 2026

MINUTE ORDER signed by District Judge Dale A. Drozd on 1/19/2026: (Text Only Entry); GRANTING 2 Motion for TRO.On 1/14/2026, petitioner filed a motion for temporary restraining order (Doc. No. 2 ). On 1/16/2026, respondents filed their opposition (Doc. No. 8 ) to the motion. Having considered the circumstances of petitioner's current detention and the parties' arguments, the court finds analogous and persuasive the undersigned's previous orders in Ayala Cajina v. Wofford, No. 1:25-cv-01566-DAD-AC (HC), 2025 WL 3251083 (E.D. Cal. Nov. 21, 2025), where the court concluded that due process required a pre-detention hearing to protect the petitioner's liberty interest in their continued release, and O.A.C.S. v. Wofford, No. 1:25-cv-01652-DAD-CSK (HC), 2025 WL 3485221 (E.D. Cal. Dec. 4, 2025), in which the court concluded that immigration authorities previously releasing the petitioner on his own recognizance created a reliance interest such that the petitioner was entitled to the due process available under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). Here, as in Ayala Cajina and O.A.C.S., petitioner previously encountered immigration authorities, was detained by those authorities, and then later released by those authorities with a Notice to Appear being issued. (Doc. No. 1 at 3-4.) Accordingly, pursuant to the reasoning in Ayala Cajina and O.A.C.S., petitioner's motion for a temporary restraining order (Doc. No. 2 ) is GRANTED and the court ORDERS the following: (1) Respondents are ORDERED to immediately release petitioner from respondents' custody on the same conditions that governed his release immediately prior to his detention on November 3, 2025; and (2) Respondents are ENJOINED AND RESTRAINED from re-detaining petitioner for any purpose, absent exigent circumstances, without providing petitioner written notice and a pre-detention hearing before a neutral adjudicator. Under the circumstances of this case, petitioner will not be required to post bond pursuant to Rule 65(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The parties are directed to meet and confer and, if possible, submit a joint proposed briefing schedule and hearing date with respect to any motion for a preliminary injunction no later than fourteen (14) days from the date of entry of this order. (Deputy Clerk CGH) (Entered: 01/19/2026)

Jan 19, 2026

Minute Order AND Order on Motion for TRO

Feb 03, 2026

Minute Order AND ~Util - Set Motion and F&R Deadlines/Hearings

#14

Feb 05, 2026

Preliminary Injunction