Ninth Circuit blocks Trump admin's bond hearing rule

A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday, July 30, 2026, that the Trump administration cannot deny migrants detained inside the United States a chance for release on bond, dealing a significant legal setback to the administration's expanded mandatory detention policy. The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals deepens a growing split among federal courts on the issue.

The ruling directly challenges a policy shift implemented last July, when immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to include individuals apprehended within the U.S. interior. Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the country were typically allowed to seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending, with mandatory detention generally reserved for those arrested at the border.

The Ninth Circuit's decision marks the fifth federal appeals court to reject the administration's policy. However, the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have ruled in favor of the federal government. This widening judicial divide significantly increases the likelihood that the...