Richard Javier Mendoza Henriquez, a federal immigration detainee held at Golden State Annex Detention Facility, had been released on parole under federal immigration law but was subsequently re-detained around January 10, 2026. Henriquez filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention, initially proceeding pro se before the court appointed counsel in February.
The magistrate judge found that Henriquez's re-detention without proper notice or hearing violated constitutional due process protections. Judge Drozd adopted those findings in full after conducting a de novo review, concluding that the magistrate's recommendations were 'supported by the record and by proper analysis.' The court ordered respondents to release Henriquez on the same conditions he was subject to prior to his re-detention.
The case was referred to a magistrate judge under federal statute, who issued findings and recommendations on March 24, 2026, recommending that the habeas petition be granted. No objections to those recommendations were filed by the respondents within the seven-day deadline.
The ruling includes an injunction preventing authorities from re-detaining Henriquez absent exigent circumstances, with the burden on the government to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a flight risk or danger. The decision highlights ongoing tensions over due process rights for immigration detainees and could influence similar cases involving re-detention practices.