District of New Jersey • 3:26-cv-00651

#1

Jan 16, 2026

PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2241. (Filing Fee $ 5.00, Receipt Number ANYSDC-32271939) Request for emergency relief to be separately filed..Document filed by Sebastian Renoj Ordonez..(Musa-Obregon, S. Michael) (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#2

Jan 16, 2026

PROPOSED TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER. Document filed by Sebastian Renoj Ordonez. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Petitioner's Passport, # 2 Exhibit Ice Detainee Locator).(Musa-Obregon, S. Michael) Proposed Order to be reviewed by Clerk's Office staff. (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#3

Jan 16, 2026

CIVIL COVER SHEET filed..(Musa-Obregon, S. Michael) (Entered: 01/16/2026)

#4

Jan 16, 2026

ORDER: The Court, having examined the Petition in this action, which Petitioner filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, orders that: The Clerk of Court shall electronically notify the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York that this Order has been issued. By January 22, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office shall file an answer or other pleadings in response to the Petition, explaining the basis for Petitioner's detention and Petitioner's location. Petitioner may file reply papers, if any, by January 29, 2026. In preparing their papers, the parties shall discuss whether, if the statutory provision under which the Government asserts the authority to detain Petitioner is 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A), there is any basis to distinguish this case from this Court's recent decision in Chen v. Almodovar, No. 25 Civ. 9670 (JPC), 2026 WL 100761 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 14, 2026). SO ORDERED. Pamela Bondi answer due on 1/22/2026; Kenneth Genalo answer due on 1/22/2026; Todd Lyons answer due on 1/22/2026; Kristi Noem answer due on 1/22/2026. (Signed by Judge John P. Cronan on 1/16/2026) (jca) (Entered: 01/16/2026)

Jan 16, 2026

Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein is designated to handle matters that may be referred in this case. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1) parties are notified that they may consent to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. Parties who wish to consent may access the necessary form at the following link: https://nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/AO-3.pdf. (jgo)

Jan 16, 2026

CASE OPENING INITIAL ASSIGNMENT NOTICE: The above-entitled action is assigned to Judge John P. Cronan. Please download and review the Individual Practices of the assigned District Judge, located at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/judges/district-judges. Attorneys are responsible for providing courtesy copies to judges where their Individual Practices require such. Please download and review the ECF Rules and Instructions, located at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/rules/ecf-related-instructions..(jgo)

Jan 16, 2026

***NOTICE TO ATTORNEY TO ELECTRONICALLY FILE CIVIL COVER SHEET. Notice to Attorney S. Michael Musa-Obregon. Attorney must electronically file the Civil Cover Sheet. Use the event type Civil Cover Sheet found under the event list Other Documents. (jgo)

Jan 16, 2026

***NOTICE TO ATTORNEY REGARDING PARTY MODIFICATION. Notice to attorney S. Michael Musa-Obregon. The party information for the following party/parties has been modified: Sebastian Renoj Ordonez; Kenneth Genalo; Todd M. Lyons; Kirsti Noem; Pam Bondi. The information for the party/parties has been modified for the following reason/reasons: party name contained a typographical error; party role was entered incorrectly; party text was omitted;. (jgo)

Jan 16, 2026

***NOTICE TO COURT REGARDING PROPOSED TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER. Document No. 2 Proposed Temporary Restraining Order was reviewed and approved as to form. (km)

Jan 16, 2026

Case Designated ECF. (jgo)

#5

Jan 20, 2026

LETTER addressed to Judge John P. Cronan from Sebastian Renoj Ordonez dated 01/20/2026 re: Requesting Transfer to the District of New Jersey Under USC 1631 Removal for Lack of Jurisdiction. Document filed by Sebastian Renoj Ordonez..(Musa-Obregon, S. Michael) (Entered: 01/20/2026)

#6

Jan 20, 2026

NOTICE OF APPEARANCE by Brandon Matthew Waterman on behalf of Pamela Bondi, Kenneth Genalo, Todd Lyons, Kristi Noem..(Waterman, Brandon) (Entered: 01/20/2026)

#7

Jan 20, 2026

PROPOSED STIPULATION AND ORDER. Document filed by Pamela Bondi, Kenneth Genalo, Todd Lyons, Kristi Noem..(Waterman, Brandon) (Entered: 01/20/2026)

#8

Jan 20, 2026

STIPULATION AND ORDER OF TRANSFER OF VENUE: IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and between the parties, that this action shall be and hereby is transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and that the seven-day waiting period in Local Civil Rule 83.1 is waived. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge John P. Cronan on 1/20/2026) (jca) (Entered: 01/20/2026)

#9

Jan 21, 2026

Certified Copy of Transfer Order and docket received, Case transferred in from District of New York Southern; Case Number 1:26-cv-00407. Original file certified copy of transfer order and docket sheet received. (Entered: 01/21/2026)

Jan 21, 2026

Notice of Judicial Preferences

Jan 21, 2026

Notice of Judicial Preferences. Click here for the Judge's Individual Procedure Requirements. (jjc, )

Jan 21, 2026

Judge Georgette Castner added. (jjc, )

Jan 21, 2026

Add and Terminate Judges

#10

Jan 22, 2026

TEXT ORDER: This matter is before the Court on Petitioner's petition (Petition) for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. (ECF No. 1 .) Petitioner also seeks an order to show cause ("OTSC") and a temporary restraining order prohibiting his transfer. (See ECF No. 2 .) Pursuant to the All Writs Act, see 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a), Respondents SHALL NOT TRANSFER Petitioner from the District of New Jersey, and SHALL NOT REMOVE Petitioner from the United States, pending further order of this Court. The request for an OTSC and TRO is DENIED as moot. Petitioner indicates that Respondents may be detaining Petitioner under the mandatory detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b). (See ECF No. 1 Para. 36.) Under this Court's recent decision in Chen v. Soto, No. 25-17198, 2025 WL 3527239 (D.N.J. Dec. 9, 2025), the Court holds that Petitioner is subject to detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which requires an opportunity to seek bond, id. at *2-4. Specifically, it appears that, inter alia: (1) Petitioner has resided in New York "for years," has a fixed address, longstanding ties to the community, and no criminal charges; and (2) on January 15, 2026, in the interior of the United States, Petitioner was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on a public street while he was traveling from his home to his place of employment in Brooklyn, New York, (ECF No. 1 Paras. 13, 19, 36.) Based on these alleged facts, Chen controls this present matter. Chen, 2025 WL 3527239, at *4. In accordance with 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), within ten (10) days of the date of entry of this Text Order, Respondents shall provide Petitioner with an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge who shall assess whether he presents a flight risk or a danger to the community, pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 236.1(c)(8), (d)(1). Within three (3) days of that bond hearing, Respondents shall file a written notice of the outcome of that hearing with this Court. Alternatively, if Respondents contend that Chen does not control, they shall file an expedited answer within seven (7) days of the date of entry of this Text Order, and Petitioner may file a reply within five (5) days of the date of filing of Respondents' expedited answer. Finally, the Clerk of the Court shall forward a copy of the Petition (ECF No. 1 ) and this Text Order to the Chief, Civil Division, United States Attorney's Office, at the following email address: USANJ-HabeasCases@usdoj.gov (jmh) (Entered: 01/22/2026)

Jan 22, 2026

10 Text Order and Petition (ECF No. 1 ) emailed to USANJ-HabeasCases@usdoj.gov on 1/22/2026. (jmh)

Jan 22, 2026

Text Order

Jan 22, 2026

Docket Annotation (public)

#11

Jan 27, 2026

Substitution of Attorney

#12

Jan 30, 2026

Letter

#13

Feb 02, 2026

Order

#14

Feb 04, 2026

Letter

Feb 06, 2026

Order of Dismissal AND Text Order