Western District of Pennsylvania • 3:25-cv-00466

#1

Dec 03, 2025

First PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Filing fee $5, receipt number APAWDC-9228313), filed by Amara Camara. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Exhibit Ex A, # 3 Exhibit Ex B, # 4 Certificate of Service Ex C) (Rosenfeld, Eric) (Entered: 12/03/2025)

Dec 04, 2025

CLERK'S NOTICE OF CORRECTION. ERROR: Duplicate cases opened. CORRECTION FOR FUTURE FILINGS: Duplicate case 3:25-cv-465 deleted. In the event of an error in the case opening process, filer is directed to contact the Clerk's Office. Filer is NOT to open successive case numbers. THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THE FILING AT ISSUE. (cww)

Dec 04, 2025

Case Assigned to Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown. (elt)

#2

Dec 09, 2025

Order

#3

Dec 10, 2025

Errata re 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, by Amara Camara. Reason for Correction: Missing county. (Rosenfeld, Eric) (Entered: 12/10/2025)

#4

Dec 22, 2025

NOTICE of Appearance by Jonathan R. Bruno on behalf of PAMELA BONDI, GEO GROUP, INC., KRISTI NOEM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CAMMILLA WAMSLEY, WARDEN OF MOSHANNON VALLEY ICE PROCESSING CENTER. (Bruno, Jonathan) (Entered: 12/22/2025)

#5

Dec 22, 2025

CONSENT to Trial/Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge OR District Judge Option, by PAMELA BONDI, KRISTI NOEM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CAMMILLA WAMSLEY, WARDEN OF MOSHANNON VALLEY ICE PROCESSING CENTER. (Bruno, Jonathan) (Entered: 12/22/2025)

#6

Dec 22, 2025

Extension of Time to File Response/Reply

#7

Dec 23, 2025

TEXT ORDER granting 6 MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 3 Errata, 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, by PAMELA BONDI, GEO GROUP, INC., KRISTI NOEM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CAMMILLA WAMSLEY, WARDEN OF MOSHANNON VALLEY ICE PROCESSING CENTER. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that said motion is GRANTED and the deadline for Respondents to file a Response to the Petition is extended to 1/5/2026. Signed by Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown on 12/23/2025. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (cmc) (Entered: 12/23/2025)

#8

Dec 23, 2025

TEXT ORDER: In accordance with the case management system in place in this district, this case has been assigned to the undersigned for all pretrial matters. Therefore, it is ORDERED that on or before 1/5/2026, the Petitioner shall complete an election form either consenting to jurisdiction by the Magistrate Judge or electing to have a District Judge assigned to the case, and shall file the form with the Clerk's Office. A copy of the form can be found on the court's website. The Court notes that Respondents have already filed this form and therefore no action related to this Order is required of Respondents. Signed by Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown on 12/23/2025. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (cmc) (Entered: 12/23/2025)

Dec 23, 2025

Order for Consent/DJO form

Dec 23, 2025

Order on Motion for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply

#9

Jan 05, 2026

RESPONSE to 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus,, filed by PAMELA BONDI, GEO GROUP, INC., KRISTI NOEM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CAMMILLA WAMSLEY, WARDEN OF MOSHANNON VALLEY ICE PROCESSING CENTER. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2, # 3 Exhibit 3, # 4 Exhibit 4) (Bruno, Jonathan) (Entered: 01/05/2026)

#10

Jan 14, 2026

TEXT ORDER - Petitioner was ordered by 1/5/2026 to complete an election form either consenting to jurisdiction by the Magistrate Judge or electing to have a District Judge assigned to the case, and to file the form with the Clerk's Office. 8 To date, Petitioner has not complied with this order. Petitioner will be granted an extension until 1/16/2026 to complete and file the election form which can be found on the court's website at https://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/forms/consent-jurisdiction-united-states-magistrate-judgedistrict-judge-option. Signed by Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown on 1/14/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (bsc) (Entered: 01/14/2026)

Jan 14, 2026

Order

#11

Jan 15, 2026

CONSENT to Trial/Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge OR District Judge Option, by Amara Camara. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Service Certificate of Service) (Rosenfeld, Eric) (Entered: 01/15/2026)

#12

Jan 20, 2026

ORDER GRANTING 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Amara Camara to the extent Camara is entitled to a bond hearing. All parties have consented to full jurisdiction before a United States Magistrate Judge, including entry of a final judgment, under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). See ECF Nos. 5 and 11.Petitioner Amara Camara is a 40-year-old native and citizen of Guinea who entered the United States near Lukeville, Arizona around December 10, 2023, without authorization. ECF No. 1-3 at 1; ECF No. 9 at 1. On December 3, 2025, a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 was filed on Camara's behalf seeking his immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). ECF No. 1. He argues he is a member of the nationwide class certified in Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 5:25-cv-1873, 2025 WL 3289861, at *11 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 20, 2025), amended and superseded on reconsideration by Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz, -- F. Supp. 3d ---, 2025 WL 3713987 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 18, 2025), in which the District Court held that class members were being detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and may not be denied consideration for release on bond under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(2)(A). ECF No. 1, 2. Camara was arrested and detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 9, 2025, and on September 16, 2025, was transported to Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC), where he remains in ICE custody. ECF No. 1, 19; ECF No. 9, at 1-2. Respondents argue Camara's claim fails because (1) the declaratory judgment entered in Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz has no preclusive effect outside the Central District of California and (2) he is lawfully detained as an applicant for admission under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) and, therefore, is not entitled to a bond hearing. ECF No. 9. The Court need not address the Government's first argument because the Court agrees with the reasoning of the Maldonado Baustista court in determining the applicability of Sections 1225 and 1226 to noncitizens present in the country who were arrested and detained without a bond hearing. Respondents acknowledge there is an adverse decision from this Court, Calzado Diaz v. Noem, No. 3:25- cv-458, 2025 WL 3628480, at *37 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 15, 2025) (Haines, J.), vacated as moot, ECF No. 22 (Dec. 17, 2025), and ask the Court to reconsider its conclusions. ECF No. 9. The Court notes that in addition to the Calzado Diaz opinion, a number of judges in the Western District of Pennsylvania, including this one, have rejected Respondents' arguments. See Singh v. Oddo, No. 3:25-cv-429, 2026 WL 73789 (W.D. Pa. Jan. 9, 2026) (Brown, M.J.); Perez v. Oddo, No. 3:25-cv-475 (W.D. Pa. Jan. 8, 2026) (Taylor, M.J.); Sepulveda-Leyton v. ONeill, No. 3:25-cv-498, 2026 WL 25116 (W.D. Pa. Jan. 5, 2026) (Brown, M.J.); Nunez Ramos v. Noem, No. 3:25-CV-00387, 2025 WL 3687335, at *4 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 19, 2025) (Brown, M.J.); Vasquez Mejia v. Noem, No. 3:25-CV-00333, 2025 WL 3546427, at *4 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 11, 2025) (Brown, M.J.); Ico Coc v. Warden Leonard Oddo, No. 3:25-CV-00381, 2025 WL 3753965 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 29, 2025) (Taylor, M.J.). In each of those cases, the judges of this Court held that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) not Section 1225(b) governed the petitioner's detention. For all the reasons stated in those cases, the Court concludes Section 1226(a), not Section 1225(b), governs Camara's detention and he is, therefore, subject to discretionary detention. As a noncitizen detained under Section 1226(a), Camara has a statutory right to a bond hearing. See Jennings v. Rodriguez, 583 U.S. 281, 306 (2018) (Federal regulations provide that aliens detained under § 1226(a) receive bond hearings at the outset of detention.) (citing 8 C.F.R. §§ 236.1(d)(1), 1236.1(d)(1), 1236(d)(1)). In making this finding the Court reiterates it is not making any recommendation whatsoever regarding Camara's ultimate detention or release. Rather the Court finds, as a matter of statutory interpretation, that he is entitled to a bond hearing. Any other relief requested by Camara in his Petition, such as immediate release is denied. ECF No. 1, at 7. The Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is GRANTED to the extent Camara is entitled to a bond hearing. Respondents are ORDERED to provide Camara with a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) within FOURTEEN days of this Order. Counsel for the parties shall file notice of the date and time of the bond hearing on the docket in this matter once the hearing is scheduled. Counsel further shall notify this Court in writing of the outcome of the individualized bond hearing within seven days of the date of the immigration judges decision. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, with no further action being required by the Court at this time, the Clerk of Court shall mark this matter closed. Signed by Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown on 1/20/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (bsc) (Entered: 01/20/2026)

#13

Jan 20, 2026

Judgment (Rule 58)

Jan 20, 2026

Order

#14

Jan 21, 2026

NOTICE OF SCHEDULING OF BOND HEARING by PAMELA BONDI, GEO GROUP, INC., KRISTI NOEM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CAMMILLA WAMSLEY, WARDEN OF MOSHANNON VALLEY ICE PROCESSING CENTER re 12 Order,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1) (Bruno, Jonathan) (Entered: 01/21/2026)