Judgment on U.S. Marshals’ Authority
A federal judge has determined that the U.S. Marshals lack the legal authority and necessary training to arrest or detain criminal defendants for civil immigration violations in Washington, D.C.’s local courts. This decision represents a setback for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategies.
Case Background
The ruling came from a case involving a man referred to in court records as N.S. In January 2020, the U.S. Marshals detained him after a D.C. judge ordered his release following a criminal court appearance. According to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, the Marshals held N.S. on an ICE detainer until immigration officers could take custody.
The case evolved into a class action challenging the practice of detaining criminal defendants for suspected civil immigration violations. Although a federal court barred this practice in 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals later vacated the injunction following a Supreme Court decision limiting classwide injunctions.
Despite this, the appeals court confirmed that Marshals lacked authority to arrest N.S. due to insufficient training under federal immigration regulations. The case returned to the district court for consideration of further relief.
Judge Rejects DHS Authorization
The government argued that the issue was mostly moot because Marshals had received training and received authorization under a January 2025 order. Judge Lamberth rejected these claims, concluding that the order did not legally empower U.S. Marshals to make civil immigration arrests. The judge emphasized that changing federal regulations requires a formal notice-and-comment process, which the order attempted to bypass.
Lamberth stated the order failed to amend the regulation legitimately and could not delegate authority for civil immigration arrests.
Training Concerns and Rulings
Judge Lamberth also found insufficient evidence that the Marshals received the required immigration training. The virtual instruction provided by ICE attorneys did not meet the standards of federal regulations.
The judge denied the government’s motion to dismiss, ruling that U.S. Marshals lack the legal authority and necessary training for detaining or arresting individuals for civil immigration violations in D.C. Superior Court.
Broader Implications
Concerns have increased regarding federal agents’ training and use of force, especially after several fatal incidents during immigration enforcement operations. These include the killings of Renee Nicle Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas, and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine.
Newsweek editors John Fitzpatrick and Dave Siminoff were contacted for comments on this story.