The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska notes that Chang has lived in the United States for more than two decades. His first, and only, encounter with federal immigration enforcement happened late last year in Des Moines, Iowa. Chang was taken into custody, where he has remained ever since.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska has filed a lawsuit against federal and state officials, claiming that their client, a Guatemalan man who has been living in the United States for more than 20 years, was illegally denied a bond hearing while held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiff Carlos Chang, who has been detained in a McCook, Nebraska, facility since December of 2025. Attorneys for Chang claim the decision to deny their client a bond hearing violates his rights under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska filed a lawsuit against federal and state officials on behalf of Carlos Chang, who has been detained in the detention facility in McCook, Nebraska, since December of 2025. He is one of many immigrants nationally who have been denied a bond hearing based on the recent adoption of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy that asserts nearly all detained immigrants are subject to mandatory detention and ineligible for release on bond.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska notes that Chang has lived in the United States for more than two decades. His first, and only, encounter with federal immigration enforcement happened late last year in Des Moines, Iowa. Chang was taken into custody, where he has remained ever since.
“Courts have clearly and repeatedly stated that immigration officials cannot wholesale deny people the right to seek release on bond if they are detained within our country,” ACLU of Nebraska staff attorney Grant Friedman said in a statement. “At its most basic level, this is about ensuring the rule of law and protecting a fundamental right,” Friedman said. “Officials have an obligation to follow court orders, and our client has a right to make his case and to receive an individual custody determination as has been the usual practice for decades.”
Sources
ACLU of Nebraska files lawsuit on behalf of man detained at McCook ICE facility
ACLU of Nebraska Sues Over ICE Policy Blocking Bond Hearing
McCook ICE detainee sues, says bond hearing illegally denied
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