U.S. Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Detained Since 2012

U.S. Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Detained Since 2012

A U.S. District Court in Minnesota has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release Michael Opeoluwa Egbele, a Nigerian national who entered the United States illegally in 2003 and had been held under immigration detention since his arrest in 2012. The court ruled that his detention was unlawful due to prolonged enforcement delays and lack of proper legal notice.

Senior U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard delivered the ruling on February 18, 2026, giving ICE until February 20 to free Egbele and file a status report confirming his release. The judge highlighted that ICE had no legal grounds to hold him, noting the unique circumstances of his long-standing supervision arrangement.

Egbele’s legal troubles began in 2012 after his arrest on a drug-related offence, which triggered deportation proceedings. At the time, he applied for asylum and requested that his removal be withheld, but his claim was denied, and he was issued a final deportation order in July 2012. However, ICE did not enforce the removal, and Egbele did not appeal.

Instead, he was released on supervision in December 2012, under which he was required to report regularly to ICE. This arrangement continued for more than a decade until January 2026, when ICE detained him during a routine check-in.

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Egbele argued in court that he was never notified of any revocation of his pre-existing order of supervision and was not given a legal explanation for his detention. ICE claimed the supervision was revoked partly because Egbele failed to obtain a travel document to Nigeria, as required under his supervision.

Following his arrest, Egbele was unable to contact his wife, a U.S. citizen, or his lawyer for several days. He was initially held at an ICE facility in Montana and later transferred to a detention center in New Mexico, with his location undisclosed for days.

The federal government argued that the Minnesota court lacked jurisdiction because Egbele was held outside the state, but the judge rejected this, stating that ICE could not unilaterally terminate a decades-long supervisory arrangement without due process. The court emphasized that Egbele’s right to proper notice and legal protections had been violated.

Judge Gerrard ordered that Egbele be released immediately under the conditions of his original supervision and directed ICE to file a compliance report by February 20, 2026.

Legal experts say the ruling highlights broader concerns about long-term immigration detention, due process rights, and the enforcement of removal orders in the U.S., particularly when individuals have established long-term ties or arrangements with immigration authorities.

U.S. Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Detained Since 2012