A Los Angeles judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Immigration adn Customs Enforcement (ICE) after allegations surfaced that the agency held a man in a local hospital for over a month, at times handcuffed to his bed, without formal charges. The case raises concerns about due process rights for noncitizen detainees and the extent of ICE’s authority within medical facilities.
The detainee, identified as Rovidio Marin, was hospitalized following a traffic collision and subsequently held under ICE supervision for 37 days.Attorneys representing Marin argue the prolonged detention and intensive surveillance-including ICE agents present around the clock, monitoring conversations with doctors, and conducting interrogations while he was medicated-constituted a violation of his rights. The restraining order, scheduled to expire October 18th, seeks to limit ICE’s actions in similar cases.Judge Valenzuela cited the September 11, 2001, attacks as “extraordinary circumstances” previously used to justify delayed due process for noncitizen detainees, but asserted that Marin had been held “substantially longer” than warranted.
“For 37 days, our client was forced to endure medical treatment and recovery with ICE agents in his room, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” stated Cynthia Santiago, attorney for the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, and Nicolas Thompson-Llera, attorney for CHIRLA, in a joint statement. “ICE agents listened to every conversation between him and his doctors. They interrogated him while he was in pain and under the influence of medication. They did not permit him to see his family and removed his access to phone calls.”
KTLA News has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment but has not yet received a response. The legal challenge underscores a growing debate over ICE’s tactics and the rights of individuals in its custody, notably within the healthcare system.
