A federal judge has found a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official in civil contempt after ruling that he ordered the rearrest of a Maryland resident despite existing court orders directing the man’s release.
US District Judge John deGravelles ruled Wednesday that Vernon Liggins, who was serving as deputy director of ICE’s Baltimore field office when the incident occurred, committed a “clear violation” of two earlier court orders when agents arrested Ibrahim Mohammed at his home on July 28.
The judge also awarded Mohammed, an Ethiopian national, modest compensation as well as attorneys’ fees. Mohammed has spent much of the past 13 months moving in and out of ICE custody.
DeGravelles warned that stronger penalties could follow if his orders continue to be disregarded.
The ruling represents another confrontation between the federal judiciary and President Donald Trump’s administration over its immigration enforcement policies, particularly the detention and deportation of migrants who cannot legally be returned to their countries of origin.
“Today’s decision makes it clear that ICE, like all law enforcement agencies, must follow the law,” Mohammed’s attorney, Bridget Pranzatelli, said.
“Though Mr. Mohammed will never get back the time he lost to repeated, unlawful detentions, the compensation the court ordered today is important recognition of the very real harm he suffered,” she added.
Mohammed’s legal battle began after ICE detained him last year and held him for months at a maximum-security Louisiana prison that has an agreement with the agency.
Mohammed and three other detainees subsequently filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of their detention.
On February 6, DeGravelles ordered their release, ruling that ICE had violated their constitutional rights by keeping them detained without a clear and workable plan to deport them.
The Department of Homeland Security criticised the decision at the time, pointing to the criminal histories of the detainees.
However, the judge said ICE was required to follow its established procedures regardless of whether the individuals had criminal convictions.
Mohammed was convicted in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2017 of sexually abusing a child who lived in his home. He served a jail sentence before entering deportation proceedings.
An immigration judge later determined that Mohammed was likely to face persecution or torture if returned to Ethiopia, preventing his deportation there.
ICE subsequently tried unsuccessfully to identify another country willing to accept him. The agency eventually released him under a supervision order after determining that he did not pose a threat to public safety.
DeGravelles ruled in February that ICE had failed to properly notify Mohammed that the supervision arrangement was being revoked before arresting him.
The judge ordered the agency to release him and follow the appropriate procedure by reopening his case before an immigration judge before attempting to deport him to a third country.
During testimony on August 5, Liggins acknowledged that he instructed agents to arrest Mohammed on July 28 because officials intended to reopen his immigration case.
Liggins also conceded that detention was not legally required to reopen the case. He argued, however, that cases generally progressed more quickly when the person involved was already in custody and maintained that Mohammed’s criminal record justified his detention.
The contempt ruling comes amid a growing number of disputes between federal judges and immigration authorities over alleged violations of court orders.
Federal judges have previously found ICE or DHS in contempt, although the decision against an individual field office director appears to be unusual.
Earlier this month, a California judge held DHS in contempt over its failure to provide evidence in litigation concerning immigration raids in Los Angeles in 2025.
A Maryland judge also found the department in contempt over the deportation of more than 50 children who had pending asylum applications.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, a judge warned ICE that it could face contempt proceedings for failing to promptly return personal belongings to people released from immigration custody.
