The Trump administration has introduced a controversial ICE directive denying bond hearings to many undocumented immigrants, potentially detaining hundreds of thousands more and prompting legal and human rights backlash.

The Trump administration has come under fire following the introduction of a controversial new immigration directive that significantly tightens the government’s detention powers over undocumented migrants in the United States.

According to a leaked internal memo, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun interpreting key sections of immigration law as categorical bans on granting bond hearings to individuals who entered the country illegally and are currently contesting deportation. The change, quietly implemented, could result in hundreds of thousands of additional detentions and marks a sharp departure from longstanding legal norms that allow migrants to seek release while awaiting proceedings.

The policy shift has alarmed legal experts and human rights advocates, who warn that it could overwhelm detention facilities and erode due process protections enshrined in U.S. immigration law. Critics argue that denying bond hearings en masse not only violates constitutional safeguards but also undermines decades of judicial precedent that balanced enforcement with basic civil liberties.

“This is a sweeping and deeply troubling move,” said a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “It denies people the chance to make their case for release, even when they pose no flight risk or danger to the public.”

President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to execute mass deportations and further restrict immigration, has already secured federal funding to increase detention capacity to at least 100,000 individuals — nearly double the current level. This expansion, paired with the new directive, signals a significant escalation in the administration’s immigration agenda ahead of the next election cycle.

Supporters of the policy argue that it will deter illegal immigration and restore control over the nation’s borders. “The law is clear — individuals who break the law to enter the country should not expect preferential treatment,” said a senior Department of Homeland Security official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, legal challenges are already being prepared. Immigration lawyers across the country are expected to contest the directive in federal courts, arguing it constitutes an unlawful overreach by the executive branch and violates the fundamental rights of asylum seekers and other undocumented migrants.

The Department of Justice has yet to issue an official statement on the leaked memo, but ICE has defended its approach as a clarification of existing statutes rather than a new policy. Critics, however, are not convinced.

With detention centres already facing criticism over overcrowding and poor conditions, the prospect of expanded, indefinite detention has sparked concerns among civil rights groups, lawmakers, and immigrant communities nationwide.