Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Man Who Entered US Illegally in 2003
A U.S. federal court in Minnesota has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release a Nigerian man who entered the United States unlawfully in 2003, ruling that the agency lacked legal grounds to continue detaining him. The decision comes amid ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and detainee rights.
The man, identified as Michael Opeoluwa Egbele, has been in the U.S. since 2003 and was arrested in 2012 following a drug-related offence, according to court documents. At that time, U.S. prosecutors initiated deportation proceedings against him. Egbele applied for asylum and asked the court to withhold his deportation, but an immigration judge denied his request and ordered his removal in July 2012. However, neither ICE nor Egbele appealed that removal order, and years passed without enforcement of the deportation order.
In a ruling issued this week, Senior U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard determined that ICE did not have sufficient legal authority to keep Egbele in detention under the circumstances presented. The judge ordered the agency to release him and file a status report confirming his release, noting that he should be freed under his existing Order of Supervision. The court’s deadline for ICE to comply was set for no later than February 20, 2026.
The decision highlights ongoing legal tensions over how long undocumented immigrants can be detained, especially in cases where removal orders have been dormant for years. Advocates for immigrants’ rights have argued that prolonged detention without timely enforcement of removal proceedings raises due process concerns, while immigration enforcement officials maintain that final removal orders justify continued custody.
Egbele’s case has drawn attention to broader issues within the U.S. immigration system — including backlogs in deportation enforcement, the legal status of long-term undocumented residents, and the role of federal courts in reviewing immigration detentions.
As of the latest reports, ICE is expected to comply with the judge’s order, but any further legal challenges or appeals could influence how the case unfolds in the coming days.
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