Western District of Pennsylvania • 3:26-cv-00909

#1

May 14, 2026

PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Filing fee, including Administrative fee, $5, receipt number 2000010380), filed by ESTIBEN ALVARADO. (Attachments: # 1 Receipt, # 2 Letter, # 3 Immigration Process Documentation, # 4 DHS/ICE Documentation, # 5 Letter from Sponsor, # 6 Letters of Support (8 Letters), # 7 Residence Proof, # 8 Taxes (2024 and 2025), # 9 Envelope) (jd) (Entered: 05/14/2026)

May 14, 2026

Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan added. (jd)

#2

May 15, 2026

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER. Copies of this order and the Petition were emailed by the Court to the USAO. This email service is deemed sufficient to accomplish formal service of the Petition on Respondents. Respondents' counsel shall file a notice of appearance within 3 days of this date. Respondents shall file any responses or answers to the petition within 7 days of the date of service. Petitioner's reply is due within 5 days of Respondents' response. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 5/15/2026. (pak) (Entered: 05/15/2026)

#3

May 15, 2026

STANDING ZADVYDAS ORDER. In alien habeas cases, petitioners often challenge their detention as being unconstitutionally prolonged, either at the outset or later during the pendency of their cases. See Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001) ("The serious constitutional problem arising out of a statute that, in these circumstances, permits an indefinite, perhaps permanent, deprivation of human liberty without any such protection is obvious.") In order to monitor and assess the validity of any such potential claim, Respondents shall file a status report updating the Court on Petitioner's detention status six months from today. No such report need be filed if Petitioner has been released prior to that date. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 5/15/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (pak) (Entered: 05/15/2026)

May 15, 2026

Order

#5

May 18, 2026

Errata re 4 Notice of Appearance by TODD BLANCHE, DARREN MARGOLIN, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, LEONARD ODDO, MICHAEL T. ROSE. Reason for Correction: Petitioner's name was listed incorrectly. (Stockey, Nicole) (Entered: 05/18/2026)

#6

May 21, 2026

RESPONSE to 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus,, filed by TODD BLANCHE, DARREN MARGOLIN, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, LEONARD ODDO, MICHAEL T. ROSE. (Stockey, Nicole) (Entered: 05/21/2026)

#7

May 22, 2026

ORDER. For the reasons stated in Villagrez v. Bondi, et al., No. 26-72, 2026 WL 545380 (W.D. Pa. Feb. 26, 2026) (Ranjan, J.), the Court GRANTS the 1 habeas petition. Additionally, to the extent that the government argues that the presence of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(A) subjects Petitioner to mandatory detention, the Court disagrees. See Qasemi v. Francis, No. 25-CV-10029 (LJL), 2025 WL 3654098, at *1011, 13 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 17, 2025) (finding that Section 1182(d)(5)(A)'s language of "returned to the custody from which he was paroled" refers to DHS's control over Petitioner, not the prior detention status to which Petitioner was subjected to at an earlier time). The Court ISSUES the writ, on these terms. (1) Respondents shall cause Petitioner to be taken to a neutral immigration judge of the Executive Office of Immigration Review for an individualized bond hearing to occur within 30 days of this order, or else release Petitioner by such date. (2) Respondents shall ensure that such a hearing include the required due process, i.e., at a minimum, factfinding based on a record produced before the decisionmaker and disclosed to Petitioner; an opportunity to make arguments on the Petitioner's behalf; and the right to an individualized determination of Petitioner's interests. See Ghanem v. Warden Essex Cnty. Corr. Facility, No. 21-1908, 2022 WL 574624, at *2 (3d Cir. Feb. 25, 2022). (3) Petitioner shall be responsible for securing the necessary transcripts and record of the bond hearing. The Court further finds that Respondents' position was substantially justified in this case, so no fees shall be awarded. The Court trusts the immigration judge to comply with this order and ensure that Petitioner is provided due process, and therefore the immigration judge shall explain his or her individualized determination on the record. See Kamara v. Atty Gen. of U.S., 420 F.3d 202, 212 (3d Cir. 2005). The Clerk of Court shall administratively CLOSE this case. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 5/22/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (jde) (Entered: 05/22/2026)

#8

May 22, 2026

FINAL JUDGMENT, entered consistent with the above order (ECF 7). Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 5/22/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (jde) (Entered: 05/22/2026)

May 22, 2026

Judgment

May 22, 2026

Order