US District Court NDIA Docket Feed

Ersultan Ermekov v. Markwayne Mullin — Immigration Habeas Corpus

Judge from the US District Court for the Northern District of Iowa issued a memorandum opinion and order on April 17, 2026, granting petitioner Ersultan Ermekov's habeas corpus petition (No. C26-41-LTS-KEM). The court held that aliens detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) pending removal proceedings retain a constitutional due process right to an individualized bond hearing, even though the statute itself provides no statutory right to such a hearing. The court rejected the government's argument that binding Eighth Circuit precedent forecloses any interest-balancing for aliens in this posture, instead recognizing that the constitutional protections established in Zadvydas v. Davis extend to those who have already crossed the threshold of initial entry.

Dharambir Singh v. Markwayne Mullin, et al.

The court denied Dharambir Singh's petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his civil detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2), which lacks a statutory right to a bond hearing per Jennings v. Rodriguez. The court declined to extend mandatory bond hearings to Singh under Eighth Circuit precedent in Avila v. Bondi, but noted that as-applied due process challenges remain available to similarly situated detainees.

Hildreth v. Sheehan - Summary Judgment Granted on Exhaustion Grounds

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants in Marvin Lynn Hildreth Jr.'s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights action. The court held that Hildreth failed to exhaust administrative remedies on all six claims, including free exercise, mail fraud, retaliation, failure to protect, and two failure-to-train claims. Trial scheduled for September 28, 2026 is cancelled as all claims are dismissed with prejudice.