by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 14 – A man from Venezuela was detained by ICE at his appointment with the Asylum Office in Bethpage, New York on January 12. Later that day the NY Legal Assistance Group filed a habeas corpus petition in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where Inner City Press found it.
The petition says that R.A.R.B. was granted Temporary Protected Status and has no criminal record. While not in the ICE Detainee Locator, "it is the Respondents' practice to hold detainees in this posture at 26 Federal Plaza."
It says he is "engaged in supporting his community as an employee of the NYC Council, where he has worked since 2025."
The petition, as of the evening of January 12, had yet to be assigned out to a District Judge.
On January 13 it was assigned to Judge John P. Cronan, who set a January 16 hearing, at noon.
Later on January 13 NYLAG wrote in that it had "been unable to speak with Mr. R.A.R.B. despite diligent efforts to request attorney-client phone calls."
On January 14 Judge Cronan adjourned the January 16 hearing and set a schedule: "Petitioner's Amended Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to be due January 22, 2026; Respondents' answer or other pleadings to be due January 30, 2026; and Petitioner's reply papers to be due February 6, 2026. The hearing scheduled for January 16, 2026 is adjourned sine die."
It is R.A.R.B. v. Francis, et al., 1:26-cv-264 (Cronan)
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