Western District of New York • 1:26-cv-00092

Valera Bastidas v. Rhoney

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Case Information

Filed: January 15, 2026
Assigned to: Lawrence Joseph Vilardo
Referred to:
Nature of Suit: Habeas Corpus - Alien Detainee
Cause: 28:2241 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (federa
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Last Activity: February 03, 2026
Parties: View All Parties →

Docket Entries

#1
Jan 15, 2026
PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus ( Filing fee $ 5 receipt number ANYWDC-5684851.), filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Exhibit A - NTA)(Borowski, Matthew) (Entered: 01/15/2026)
Main Document: PETITION
#2
Jan 15, 2026
TEXT ORDER re 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas. To maintain the status quo, and solely so that the Court can make an informed decision about its authority to issue relief and whether any relief that it has the power to issue should be granted, the respondents are temporarily enjoined from removing the petitioner from the United States. Additionally, so that the petitioner can fully participate in these proceedings and maintain adequate access to legal counsel, the respondents also are enjoined from transferring the petitioner to any district outside the Western District of New York. See Perez y Perez v. Noem, 2025 WL 1908284, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. June 13, 2025) (collecting cases). On November 4, 2025, this Court issued a decision and order in Alvarez Ortiz v. Freden, case number 25-cv-960, finding that noncitizens who are present in the United States without having been admitted or paroled are not subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) but instead are subject to detention under section 1226. See Alvarez Ortiz v. Freden, --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2025 WL 3085032 (W.D.N.Y. Nov. 4, 2025). The Court further held "that constitutional due process requires the government to bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the individual is either a danger to the community or a flight risk even at an initial bond hearing under section 1226(a)." Id. at *12. Accordingly, the respondents are hereby ORDERED TO SHOW CAUSE on or before January 22, 2026, why, in light of that decision, (1) the petition in this case should not be granted, and (2) the Court should not order that the petitioner receive a bond hearing at which the government bears the burden to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, that the petitioner is a danger to the community or a flight risk and at which the immigration judge must consider non-bond alternatives to detention or, if setting a bond, the petitioner's ability to pay. SO ORDERED. Issued by Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo on 1/15/2026. (RFI) (Entered: 01/15/2026)
Jan 15, 2026
Notice of Availability of Magistrate Judge: A United States Magistrate of this Court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 636c and FRCP 73. The Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge form (AO-85) is available for download at http://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/forms. (TMK)
Jan 15, 2026
Case Assigned to Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo. Notification to Chambers of on-line civil case opening. (TMK)
#3
Jan 17, 2026
TEXT ORDER re 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas. The government has informally indicated to the Court that the petitioner, Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas, was paroled into the country. In Cabrera Martinez v. Marich, --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2025 WL 3771228 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 31, 2025), this Court held that detention of noncitizens who have remained in the country following expiration of parole is under 8 U.S.C. § 1226, not section 1225. And in Mata Velasquez v. Kurzdorfer, 794 F. Supp. 3d 128 (W.D.N.Y. 2025), this Court concluded "that both common sense and the words of the statute require parole revocation to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis and that a decision to revoke parole must attend to the reasons an individual [noncitizen] received parole." Id. at 146 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).It appears that the holding of Alvarez Ortiz or Mata Velasquez may apply to the petitioner in this case. Accordingly, the respondents are hereby ORDERED TO SHOW CAUSE why, in light of those decisions, (1) the petition in this case should not be granted, and (2) the Court should not either release the petitioner, see Mata Velasquez, 794 F. Supp. 3d at 154, or order that the petitioner receive a bond hearing at which the government bears the burden to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, that the petitioner is a danger to the community or a flight risk and at which the immigration judge must consider non-bond alternatives to detention or, if setting a bond, the petitioner's ability to pay, see Cabrera Martinez, 2025 WL 3771228, at *15. The government's deadline to show cause, see Docket Item 2, is extended to 1/26/2026.SO ORDERED. Issued by Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo on 1/17/2026. (RFI) (Entered: 01/17/2026)
#4
Jan 25, 2026
Letter filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas requesting extension of Respondents' deadline to respond to 1/28. (Borowski, Matthew) (Entered: 01/25/2026)
Main Document: Letter
#5
Jan 25, 2026
TEXT ORDER re 4 Letter filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas. The government's unopposed request for an extension to respond to this Court's show cause order is GRANTED. Show cause response due 1/28/2026. SO ORDERED. Issued by Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo on 1/25/2026. (RFI) (Entered: 01/25/2026)
#6
Jan 26, 2026
NOTICE of Appearance by Adam A. Khalil on behalf of Todd Lyons, Tammy Marich, Kristi Noem, Philip Rhoney (Khalil, Adam) (Entered: 01/26/2026)
Main Document: NOTICE
#7
Jan 28, 2026
REPLY/RESPONSE to re 3 Text Order,,,,,,, filed by Todd Lyons, Tammy Marich, Kristi Noem, Philip Rhoney. (Khalil, Adam) (Entered: 01/28/2026)
Main Document: REPLY/RESPONSE
#8
Jan 28, 2026
TEXT ORDER re 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Jhon Deivy Valera Bastidas On January 17, 2026, this Court ordered the respondents to show cause why, in light of this Court's decisions in Cabrera Martinez v. Marich, --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2025 WL 3771228 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 31, 2025), and Mata Velasquez v. Kurzdorfer, 794 F. Supp. 3d 128 (W.D.N.Y. 2025), "(1) the petition in this case should not be granted, and (2) the Court should not either release the petitioner... or order that the petitioner receive a bond hearing at which the government bears the burden to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, that the petitioner is a danger to the community or a flight risk and at which the immigration judge must consider non-bond alternatives to detention or, if setting a bond, the petitioner's ability to pay." Docket Item 3 (citations omitted). In response, the "[r]espondents acknowledge[d] that this Court's prior ruling [in Cabrera Martinez] concern[ed] a similar challenge to the government policy or practice at issue in this case, and if the Court follows that prior ruling, it would control the result in this case." Docket Item 7 at 1. The respondents have reserved all rights, including the right to appeal, and this Court appreciates their efforts "to conserve judicial and party resources" by not rehashing issues that this Court already has decided. See id. Accordingly, for the reasons explained in Cabrera Martinez, this Court GRANTS the petition and ORDERS the respondents to provide the petitioner with an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge within seven calendar days of the date of this order. At that hearing, the government shall bear the burden to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, that the petitioner is a danger to the community or a flight risk. At that bond hearing, the immigration judge must consider non-bond alternatives to detention or, if setting a bond, the petitioner's ability to pay. If the respondents fail to provide such a hearing within seven calendar days, they shall immediately release the petitioner. On or before 2/5/2026, the respondents shall file a status report confirming that the petitioner has either been granted a bond hearing in compliance with this order or released from custody. SO ORDERED. Issued by Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo on 1/28/2026. (ZHM) (Entered: 01/28/2026)
#9
Feb 03, 2026
Letter filed by Todd Lyons, Tammy Marich, Kristi Noem, Philip Rhoney re bond hearing. (Khalil, Adam) (Entered: 02/03/2026)
Main Document: Letter
#10
Feb 03, 2026
TEXT ORDER granting the respondents' informal request for an extension of time to file the status report previously ordered by the Court, see Docket Item 8, until 2/8/2026. SO ORDERED. Issued by Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo on 2/3/2026. (ZHM) (Entered: 02/03/2026)

Parties

Rhoney
Party
Valera Bastidas
Party