District of Massachusetts • 1:26-cv-10592

#1

Feb 06, 2026

PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus (2241) Filing fee: $ 5, receipt number AMADC-11529447 Fee status: Filing Fee paid., filed by JOAO BINGA. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Category Form)(Keefe, Joanna) (Entered: 02/06/2026)

#2

Feb 06, 2026

ELECTRONIC NOTICE of Case Assignment. District Judge Julia E. Kobick assigned to case. If the trial Judge issues an Order of Reference of any matter in this case to a Magistrate Judge, the matter will be transmitted to Magistrate Judge Jessica D. Hedges. (JAM) (Entered: 02/06/2026)

#3

Feb 06, 2026

General Order 19-02, dated June 1, 2019 regarding Public Access to Immigration Cases Restricted by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(c). (EZG) (Entered: 02/06/2026)

#4

Feb 06, 2026

District Judge Julia E. Kobick: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered. Petitioner Joao Binga, an eighteen-year-old high school student and citizen of Angola, filed today a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 seeking his immediate release. ECF 1, ¶¶ 1, 6, 14, 23, and at 13. In May 2023, he entered the United States without inspection or parole and was issued a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court. Id. ¶¶ 2, 14, 18. Binga is in removal proceedings and has applied for asylum. Id. ¶¶ 14, 18, 20. On October 20, 2025, he was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) at its Strafford County Facility in New Hampshire, where he remains. Id. ¶¶ 2, 5, 10, 14, 18, 21.“[A]s a general rule, a petitioner must file a habeas petition in the district in which they are confined and must name as a respondent the petitioner’s immediate custodian.” Ozturk v. Trump, 777 F. Supp. 3d 26, 34 (D. Mass. 2025) (citing Rumsfeld v. Padilla, 542 U.S. 426, 442-47 (2004)). This Court lacks jurisdiction over the habeas petition because Binga was not detained in Massachusetts when he filed his petition today. SeePadilla, 542 U.S. at 442; Godin v. Schencks, 629 F.3d 79, 83 (1st Cir. 2010) (“a court has an obligation to inquire sua sponte into its subject matter jurisdiction" (quotation marks omitted)). From October 20, 2025 onward, he has been under ICE custody in New Hampshire. ECF 1, ¶¶ 10, 14, 18, 21.In the circumstances of this case, including Binga’s young age, transferring his petition to the District of New Hampshire is in the interests of justice. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1404(a), 1406(a), 1631. Accordingly, Binga’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 is hereby TRANSFERRED; to the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1404(a), 1406(a), and 1631. (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 02/06/2026)

#5

Feb 06, 2026

Case transferred to the District of New Hampshire - Original file with documents numbered 1-4 sent to Clerk in that district. (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 02/06/2026)

Feb 06, 2026

Notice of Case Assignment

Feb 06, 2026

Order