Courts are supposed to be places of fairness, accountability, and justice. They are where people go to follow the law, resolve disputes, and be heard.

No one should fear being arrested simply for showing up.

But for months, immigrants attending required court hearings have been detained by ICE agents at or near immigration courts. Now, the Department of Justice has admitted that it relied on incorrect guidance to justify these arrests. The memo cited in court applied only to criminal courthouses, not immigration courts.

That means a policy affecting hundreds of people was defended using the wrong legal foundation.

This is not just a technical mistake. It has real consequences.

People who followed the rules and appeared for their hearings were taken into custody. Families were separated. Trust in the legal system was shaken. And a judge made decisions based in part on information that has now been withdrawn.

When the government acknowledges an error of this magnitude, action must follow.

Courts must be safe spaces where individuals can participate in legal proceedings without fear of detention. If people believe that showing up could lead to arrest, fewer will come forward, undermining the very system meant to deliver justice.

We call on the Department of Justice and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to immediately halt courthouse arrests tied to this flawed justification. We also call on Congress to investigate how this error occurred and to ensure that clear safeguards are in place to prevent it from happening again.

Justice depends on trust. Accountability restores it.

Sign this petition to demand an end to courthouse arrests based on faulty reasoning and to protect the fundamental right to due process for everyone.