Federal Judge Orders 24 People Released In Great Falls

Montana Judge Orders Release Of 24 Immigration Detainees

A pretty significant federal court case is happening right here in Great Falls, as a judge has ordered 24 people to be released from immigration detention.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris ordered the release of 24 people being held at the Cascade County Detention Center after determining that they had been unlawfully detained by federal immigration officials. Some of those people had been in custody for more than six weeks.

Montana Immigration Case Grows Into Larger Class-Action Lawsuit

The case started back in July when Jesus Verde Hernandez was arrested by federal immigration officials near Lewistown without a warrant. A judge later determined that the government had not shown enough evidence to justify a warrantless arrest.

That case then snowballed into a larger class-action lawsuit involving several other people who had been arrested without warrants and were being held in Montana.

According to Upper Seven Law, attorneys filed 37 individual petitions seeking the release of people who were still being detained. The government agreed that 24 of those people were in circumstances similar to two earlier cases where the judge had ordered releases.

Daily Montanan is reporting that there are still 13 people being held while the federal government makes additional arguments about their individual cases. The court is considering those requests on a rolling basis.

Chris C./TSM Great Falls

Cascade County Jail Staffing Shortage Adds Another Twist

Then there's another local wrinkle to all of this.

The Cascade County Detention Center has also been dealing with a critical staffing shortage. Earlier this month, the sheriff's office announced emergency changes to reduce the jail population to a level that could be safely managed with the available staff.

That included ordering ICE and CBP detainees to be picked up and removed from the facility.