District of Massachusetts • 1:26-cv-12523

#1

Jun 04, 2026

PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus (2241) Filing fee: $ 5, receipt number AMADC-11792231 Fee status: Filing Fee paid., filed by Elvin Joel Betancourt Galvez. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Notice to Appear, # 2 Exhibit Form I-589, # 3 Exhibit BIA Documents, # 4 Exhibit Case/Incident Reporting, # 5 Exhibit Letters)(Goulding, Jonathan) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#2

Jun 04, 2026

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Erin O'Neil-Baker Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11792282 by Elvin Joel Betancourt Galvez. (Attachments: # 1 Attorney's Certification)(Goulding, Jonathan) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#3

Jun 04, 2026

ELECTRONIC NOTICE TO COUNSEL: Counsel shall complete and file in PDF format a Local Category Form. The form can be found on the court's website under Resources/Forms. Counsel will use the event under Other Documents- Civil Cover Sheet & Category Sheet. (NVB). (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#4

Jun 04, 2026

Civil Cover Sheet & Category Sheet by Elvin Joel Betancourt Galvez. (Goulding, Jonathan) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#5

Jun 04, 2026

Civil Cover Sheet & Category Sheet JS-44 by Elvin Joel Betancourt Galvez. (Goulding, Jonathan) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#6

Jun 04, 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 Jennifer C. Boal. (FGD) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#7

Jun 04, 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). (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#8

Jun 04, 2026

District Judge Julia E. Kobick: ELECTRONIC ORDER granting 2 MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Erin O'Neil-Baker Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual upgraded PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. Counsel may need to link their CM/ECF account to their upgraded individual pacer account. Instructions on how to link CM/ECF accounts to upgraded pacer account can be found at https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-current-pacer-accounts.htm#link-account. (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#9

Jun 04, 2026

District Judge Julia E. Kobick: ORDER CONCERNING SERVICE OF PETITION AND STAY OR TRANSFER OF REMOVAL entered.The answer or responsive pleading is due no later than June 11, 2026. (Attachments: # 1 *SEALED* Appendix) (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

#10

Jun 04, 2026

Copies of the following were mailed to all respondents on 6/4/2026: 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (2241) and 9 Order Concerning Service of Petition and Stay or Transfer of Removal (Currie, Haley) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

Jun 04, 2026

Notice of Case Assignment

Jun 04, 2026

Copy Mailed

Jun 04, 2026

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear

Jun 04, 2026

Notice - Other

#11

Jun 10, 2026

Notice of Appearance

#12

Jun 10, 2026

Answer/Response to Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus - 2241

#13

Jun 11, 2026

District Judge Julia E. Kobick: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered. Petitioner Elvin Joel Betancourt Galvez, a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States on April 11, 2024, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 on June 4, 2026 seeking his immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). ECF 1, ¶¶ 1 -3, 23 . He was arrested and detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) on October 2, 2025. Id. ¶ 8. Betancourt Galvez remains in ICE’s custody at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Id. at 3, ¶ 1.The respondents argue that Betancourt Galvez is lawfully detained as an applicant for admission under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b). They acknowledge, however, that “the legal issues presented in this Petition are similar to those addressed by this Court in” Gomes v. Hyde, 804 F. Supp. 3d 265 (D. Mass. 2025), dos Santos v. Noem, No. 25-cv-12052-JEK, 2025 WL 2370988 (D. Mass. Aug. 14, 2025), and Sampiao v. Hyde, 799 F. Supp. 3d 14 (D. Mass. 2025). ECF 12, at 2. In those cases, this Court held that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a)—not Section 1225(b)—governed the petitioner’s detention. Gomes, 804 F. Supp. 3d at 275-76; dos Santos, 2025 WL 2370988, at *7; Sampiao, 799 F. Supp. 3d at 27-28. The respondents contend that “[s]hould the Court follow its reasoning in Gomes, dos Santos, and Sampiao, it would reach the same result here.” ECF 12, at 2. The Court agrees and therefore concludes that Section 1226(a), not Section 1225(b), governs Betancourt Galvez’s detention.Noncitizens like Betancourt Galvez “detained under Section 1226(a) have the right to request a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge, at which the government bears the burden to prove that continued detention is justified.” Sampiao, 799 F. Supp. 3d at 19-20. Bond may be denied only if the government “either (1) prove[s] by clear and convincing evidence that [the noncitizen] poses a danger to the community or (2) prove[s] by a preponderance of the evidence that [the noncitizen] poses a flight risk.” Hernandez-Lara v. Lyons, 10 F.4th 19, 41 (1st Cir. 2021).For the foregoing reasons, Betancourt Galvez’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, ECF 1, is GRANTED. The respondents are ORDERED to provide him with a bond hearing pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) within 7 days of this Order. The respondents are further ORDERED to file a status report on or before June 19, 2026, notifying the Court whether Betancourt Galvez has been granted bond and released or, if his request for bond was denied, providing the reasons for that denial.(MBM) (Entered: 06/11/2026)

Jun 11, 2026

Order

#14

Jun 22, 2026

Status Report

#15

Jun 30, 2026

Judgment