U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, appointed under the Biden administration, ruled Wednesday that hundreds of illegal aliens detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Chicago will be eligible for bond, and several will be released without posting any bond at all, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The decision follows the federal government’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” an enforcement initiative targeting criminal migrants and repeat border offenders. Cummings’ ruling applies to more than 600 individuals arrested during the operation, many of whom remain in custody.

Biden-appointed federal judge Jeffrey Cummings has ordered the release of more than 600 people arrested in ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” across the Chicago area, saying many detentions violated a 2022 settlement agreement limiting warrantless arrests. pic.twitter.com/bBM9HwXzN9

— Timcast News (@TimcastNews) November 12, 2025

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According to The Chicago Tribune, the court determined that illegal aliens without prior criminal convictions or deportation orders could be released on a $1,500 bond.

In addition, 13 individuals identified by attorneys as unlawfully detained are to be freed without bond within the next 48 hours.

Cummings’ order stems from a lawsuit filed by attorneys from the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), who claim ICE violated the terms of a 2022 consent decree in the Castañon Nava case.

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That agreement requires agents to show “probable cause” of unlawful presence or flight risk before making arrests without warrants.

The ruling directs the Department of Justice to produce by November 19 a list of 615 detainees who may qualify as “class members” under the decree. A follow-up status report must be submitted to the court by November 21.

Federal prosecutors strongly objected to the ruling, arguing that the release of detainees presents significant security risks.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weiland described the order as “quite significant” and requested additional time to review cases involving individuals flagged as potential threats.

At least 12 of the detainees are believed to pose public safety concerns, according to federal filings.

Judge Cummings, who presides in the Northern District of Illinois, previously found ICE in violation of the consent decree following the nationwide “Operation Blitz” earlier this year.

That operation resulted in more than 3,000 arrests, including many individuals with multiple deportations or serious criminal histories.

ICE-led Operation Midway Blitz sent these criminal aliens leaving on a jet plane — including those convicted of first-degree child sexual assault, robbery, multiple DUIs and identity theft. pic.twitter.com/yY5PUWMa9z

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 9, 2025

NIJC attorney Mark Fleming said his group’s analysis suggests that “the vast majority” of those arrests violated the decree’s restrictions.

“Our initial analysis is that it’s over 3,000 arrests,” Fleming said. “If they did not have a prior order of removal, in almost all circumstances, they’ve been uniformly violating the consent decree.”

The Justice Department has not yet indicated whether it plans to appeal the ruling. ICE has not commented publicly on the order or on how the decision might affect other ongoing enforcement actions.

Judge Cummings’ directive marks one of the most sweeping bond releases for detainees arrested under a single ICE operation in recent years and has raised concerns among law enforcement officials about its potential impact on future immigration enforcement efforts.

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