Salman Poddubnov, a noncitizen who was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on an Order of Supervision in November 2020, was re-detained by ICE on March 6, 2026. The court had previously granted a temporary restraining order on March 23, ordering Poddubnov's immediate release and requiring ICE officials including Warden Fereti Semaia and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue.
U.S. District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani found the government's mootness argument unpersuasive, noting that "the nature of a TRO is only, as referenced in the name, temporary." The judge explained that Poddubnov "can still be unlawfully re-detained when the TRO expires, and as such, the Court can still provide Petitioner relief should that occur," citing similar recent rulings in immigration detention cases. The court applied the same legal standard for preliminary injunctions as temporary restraining orders under Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council.
The government had argued in its March 30 response that the petition should be dismissed as moot because Poddubnov was released on March 24 following the court's TRO. Poddubnov countered in his April 2 reply that he continued to face the threat of unlawful detention without government assurances, and requested removal of travel restrictions limiting him to a 75-mile radius under his new supervision order.
The preliminary injunction enjoins ICE from re-detaining Poddubnov without proper due process required for revoking supervision orders, though the court declined to address the travel restriction request since it was raised for the first time in reply briefing. The ruling reflects a broader trend of federal courts in California scrutinizing ICE detention practices and requiring due process protections for immigrants on supervision.