Fresno immigration lawyers are declining some ICE detention cases. Here’s why
Some immigration lawyers in Fresno are declining to represent individuals detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, arguing that proceedings for detainees move too quickly to build a proper defense or are scheduled in distant courts they cannot consistently attend.
Too often, some attorneys say, such cases end in unfavorable outcomes.
Jesus Ibañez, an immigration attorney with the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services (CARAS), said he has not taken on any cases involving detained individuals since July.
“They’ve just become very difficult especially with the changes for who qualifies for bond, who doesn’t, how quickly these cases are moving. I’m not able to give the proper representation to detained individuals right now,” he said. “Also, clients are frustrated and they’re just deciding to self-deport.. Two of my clients will be deporting themselves.”
Another reason Ibañez said he stopped taking cases involving ICE detainees is that obtaining their release or immigration relief has become increasingly difficult and, in many cases, nearly impossible.
“Folks are not qualifying for release and it’s very difficult to apply for relief while detained and actually win the case,” Ibañez said. “And if you’re a lawyer taking on a case and charging for it, there’s a moral question there. Are you really going to charge someone $7,000, $10,000, even $15,000 when you know there’s little to no chance they’ll be released or receive any form of relief?”
Ibañez explained that part of the difficulty in seeking relief for a detained individual stems from the expedited nature of the process, which gives lawyers too little time to gather crucial information and interview witnesses.
“I’ve gotten just 30 or 45 days to prepare for hearings where the relief is decided. I’m lucky if I get 60 days. It’s just not enough time to prepare the case and the client,” he said. “I want to continue fighting for my clients, but the government is so vast in the resources it has and we have to pick and choose our battles right now. There’s only so much that we can do.”
Armida Mendoza, an immigration lawyer who recently volunteered with the Valley Watch Rapid Response Network, said the main reason she’s not taking on detained cases is that they’re time-consuming.
”There’s just a lot of business administrative work I’m handling, so having a detained case that requires immediate and quick response is not something I have capacity to do right now. I know how much time it requires,” she said.
That said, Mendoza said some of her colleagues still take on such cases — and that securing a person’s release isn’t impossible.
“They’re more difficult cases because this administration is changing the rules of the game in every possible way but I have colleagues that do take them and they’re winning them,” she said. “I don’t think they’re lost causes. There’s still attorneys doing habeas petitions in federal courts, when immigration courts are denying the possibility to hear their cases.”
Olga Grosh Pratt, an immigration attorney with Pasifika Immigration Law Group, is also not taking on cases involving detained individuals, citing the strain they place on her practice.
“Detained cases are urgent, the hearings are expedited, and the immigrant is detained in centers hours worth of driving from Fresno,” she said. “It is usually difficult to balance new demanding detained cases against existing non-detained cases with scheduled hearings, interviews, and deadlines.”
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Fresno immigration lawyers are declining some ICE detention cases. Here’s why."
