A man’s immigration case was abruptly dismissed in downtown Los Angeles, only for him to be handcuffed by federal agents moments later. Erick Eduardo Fonseca Solorzano was outside the courtroom with his wife and 8-year-old son when the agents surrounded him. His wife, visibly shaken, watched in panic as the agents explained in Spanish that he would face expedited removal proceedings.
Just before his arrest, Judge Peter A. Kim had dismissed Fonseca Solorzano’s deportation case. His young son stood nearby, stunned and confused, as his father was taken away through a service elevator. The boy remained silent, tears forming in his eyes as he clung to his mother.
Lindsay Toczylowski, the chief executive of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, noted the deep emotional impact this incident would have on the child. “This kid will be traumatized for life,” she said, expressing concern for the family.
This type of arrest is not isolated. Across the country, similar incidents are occurring as the Department of Homeland Security moves to dismiss deportation cases only to arrest immigrants immediately after. These expedited removals allow for deportation without a judicial hearing, a process that has become more common under the current administration.
The Trump administration has pushed for faster deportations, targeting immigrants who cannot prove they have been in the U.S. for over two years. Historically, expedited removals were limited to border cases, but this policy has expanded significantly.
Toczylowski pointed out that Fonseca Solorzano had just made his first court appearance. He had entered the U.S. from Honduras through a program that allowed asylum seekers to enter legally after a background check. This program has since been altered to facilitate self-deportation.
More than 900,000 people have been granted entry under this program since January 2023. Toczylowski criticized the current practices, stating, “We are punishing people who are following the rules.”
The arrests at courthouses have left many immigrant rights advocates frustrated. They argue that immigration courts should be safe spaces for individuals seeking relief and fair assessments of their situations. Talia Inlender from UCLA’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy emphasized that the current approach undermines due process and instills fear in those trying to comply with immigration laws.
Witnesses reported that federal agents were strategically positioned in court hallways, ready to detain individuals as soon as their cases were dismissed. One such incident involved a man from Venezuela who had fled violence in his home country. He had been nervous about attending court but was encouraged to go by his partner, only to be arrested immediately after his case was dismissed.
The situation has drawn attention to the coordinated efforts between Homeland Security officials and federal agents, raising concerns about the treatment of immigrants and the potential chilling effect on those seeking legal recourse in the immigration system. As these arrests continue, many fear that the fear of deportation will deter others from seeking justice in immigration courts.