Julio Jesus Buitrago Murzi v. Kristi Noem, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, Todd M. Lyons, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Dawn Ceja, Warden of Denver Contract Detention Facility

Civil Action No. 1:26-cv-00359-CNS (D. Colo. Feb. 12, 2026) · United States District Court for the District of Colorado · February 12, 2026 · No. 1:26-cv-00359-CNS

Summary

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado granted Julio Jesus Buitrago Murzi’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, concluding that his detention was improperly governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1225 rather than § 1226. The court ordered his immediate release, denied his motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction as moot, and imposed conditions on any future re-detention.

Court
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Jurisdiction
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Decision date
February 12, 2026
Docket number
1:26-cv-00359-CNS
Disposition
writ_granted

Questions Presented

  1. Whether Petitioner's detention was governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1225 or 8 U.S.C. § 1226 after he had been paroled into the United States and released pending removal proceedings.
  2. Whether the detention violated due process.
  3. Whether the appropriate remedy was immediate release or a bond hearing.

Holdings

  1. Because Petitioner had been paroled into the United States after arriving at a port of entry and had thereafter lived in the United States, his detention was governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1226 rather than 8 U.S.C. § 1225. His detention under the § 1225 framework was therefore improper.
  2. Petitioner's continued detention was unlawful and violated due process, or at minimum established a likelihood of success on the merits of his due-process claim.
  3. Immediate release, rather than a bond hearing, was the appropriate remedy because Respondents did not identify evidence that Petitioner posed a flight risk or danger to the community.

Court Document

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