Federal judge slams ICE for arresting a Minnesota dentist based on faulty paperwork. Then he orders his immediate release: ‘The hubris is galling’

A Minnesota federal judge ordered the quick release of a Canadian dentist who had been taken into custody by immigration officials. The case involved paperwork that the judge said was incorrect and could not support the arrest. Judge Michael J. Davis of the District of Minnesota issued the emergency ruling on Sunday in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by the man, known in court papers only as William L.

According to Raw Story, ICE agents had arrested William L. the month before. The action rested on information supplied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. That information claimed he could be removed at once because of a 2012 charge that had later been dismissed.

Judge Davis concluded the paperwork contained errors. He pointed out that USCIS itself had acknowledged the mistake. Because of that admission, the judge said the arrest lacked any valid legal foundation. He also found that the agencies had not shown the specific grounds required to remove someone without a warrant.

William L. came to live and work in Minnesota

William L. arrived in the United States in 2019 on an F-1 student visa. He enrolled in the dental program at the University of Minnesota and completed his degree in 2023. After finishing school he married his girlfriend from college.

The couple had their first child in 2025. William L. went on to practice dentistry in places the federal government has identified as shortage areas for dental services. Court records state that he was never arrested or charged with any crime during his years in the country.

In the written order, Judge Davis said the circumstances were serious enough that a lengthy ruling with extensive detail would have been possible. He chose a shorter order instead so the dentist would not remain in custody any longer. The judge wrote that he wanted to make sure the man spent no additional night in the Sherburne County Jail.

“The hubris of admitting that USCIS made a big mistake, but not even offering any sort of relief is galling, although not surprising,” Davis wrote in the order. “There is no combination of facts or legal argument that can support this position.”

The judge explained that USCIS’s concession about the faulty paperwork removed any lawful reason for the arrest. He determined that neither USCIS nor ICE had met the burden of proving that William L. satisfied the particular standards the law sets for a warrantless removal. Federal judges have also raised concerns about ICE defying hundreds of court orders.

Judge Davis added that the evidence presented was clear and well supported. “Because the facts presented here are so appalling and so well supported, the Court could issue a long order, complete with colorful details about, and commentary on, the abuses suffered by Petitioner,” he wrote. “However, because the Court is determined that Petitioner will not spend another night in the Sherburne County Jail, the following order cuts to the legal necessities.”

The ruling directed that William L. be released from the Sherburne County Jail no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 1. It also limited any future effort to take him back into custody. Officials must first submit a new request to the court, and no detention can occur until the judge decides that request.

The government would then have to prove its case under a high standard. “No re-detention shall occur before the Court rules on such a motion,” Davis wrote. “Respondents shall bear the burden on any such motion of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure Petitioner’s appearance and the safety of the community.”