US: A bail hearing for an Indian inmate is ordered by a court
US: federal court ruled that the detention of an Indian national in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody violates both federal immigration law and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The court ordered immigration authorities to either release the Indian national or provide him with a bond hearing within five business days.
Indian resident and citizen Lakhwinder Singh Multani, who is being held in the North Lake Processing Centre in Baldwin, Michigan, filed a habeas corpus petition, which US District Judge Jane M. Beckering of the Western District of Michigan conditionally granted in a thorough ruling.
After being arrested on July 22, 2025, for driving while intoxicated in Baldwin, Michigan, Multani was placed into ICE custody. The court observed that Multani claimed he had no prior criminal history or arrests in the US, and that the outcome of the DUI allegation is still unknown.
Multani entered the United States in 2016 without being “admitted or paroled,” according to the court file. Prior to his incarceration, he was the main provider for his family in Pendleton, Indiana, where he owned a house and many companies.
On the Detroit immigration court’s detained docket, Multani is now undergoing removal procedures. On August 27, 2025, he had a bail hearing; however, an immigration judge determined that he lacked jurisdiction and refused release. On January 16, 2026, he has a master calendar hearing planned.
Judge Beckering rejected Multani’s request to appeal his bail rejection to the Board of Immigration Appeals in order to exhaust administrative options.
Citing the government’s declared legal position and previous BIA law, the court determined that no legislation requires exhaustion in this particular circumstance and that doing so would probably be pointless.
The court ruled that Multani’s prolonged imprisonment without a customized bail hearing was unconstitutional on the basis of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.
“Freedom from imprisonment—from government custody, detention, or other forms of physical restraint—lies at the heart of the very liberty” that is guaranteed by due process, the majority said, citing Supreme Court precedent.
The court mandated that immigration officials either release Multani right away or give him a bail hearing under Section 1226(a) within five working days of the ruling.
Additionally, it mandated that the government provide a status report within six business days attesting to compliance, including the bond’s approval or rejection along with the grounds for any refusal.