A federal judge on Tuesday barred the government from making arrests at immigration courts nationwide, effectively ending a controversial practice that began shortly after Donald Trump took office.U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts of San Francisco ruled that the Trump administration's reversal of a long-standing policy against such arrests resulted "not from merely unreasoned decision-making but a complete lack of decision-making." He noted that authorities failed to address the "chilling effect" these arrests had on individuals attending their court hearings.Judge Pitts, an appointee of President Joe Biden, referenced the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agencies to justify their actions. He wrote, "For 80 years, Congress has commanded federal agencies to think before they act." The law, he added, "does not require an agency to make the choice that a reviewing court might deem preferable. But it demands that an agency at least provide sound reasons for following its chosen course."Federal agents patrol the hallways of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on August 08, 2025 in New York City (Getty)This ruling marks the second judicial setback for courthouse arrests, following a May decision by a federal judge in New York. However, while the earlier order applied only within New York, Judge Pitts' latest decision invalidates the policy nationwide.James Percival, general counsel for the U.S. Homeland Security Department, sharply criticized the ruling as an exercise in judicial overreach. He stated online, "When a judge sentences a defendant, the defendant is taken into custody. If an alien is ordered removed by an immigration judge, the same should happen. A district judge ordering otherwise is naked judicial activism in service of an anti-American, open borders agenda."After Donald Trump took office, hearings nationwide often concluded with cases dismissed by the government, paving the way for plainclothes agents to make arrests in hallways, frequently in coordination with attorneys from the Department of Homeland Security. Judge Pitts also faulted the administration for holding individuals in nearby cells beyond the prescribed 12-hour limit.