Today, Explained How deportation broke the courts
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Feb 12, 2026 
Kyle Cheney, Politico legal reporter who covers immigration law, explains a court ruling that broadens mandatory detention and how old statutes were reinterpreted. Ian Millhiser, legal reporter on the federal courts, walks through DOJ staffing collapse, mass resignations, and how overwhelmed prosecutors shook enforcement. They trace courtroom fights, transfers, and the scramble to fill legal gaps.
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Broad Detention By Reinterpreting Old Laws
- The Trump administration reinterpreted old immigration laws to mandate broad detention of many non-recent entrants.
- The Fifth Circuit upheld that reinterpretation, creating a major legal shift with national implications.
Judges Warn Of A Legal Pandora's Box
- Many judges call the administration's reading inconsistent with 30 years of precedent and common sense.
- Dissenters warned the reinterpretation creates a Pandora's box of unintended consequences.
Texas Routes Amplify One Circuit's Power
- The Fifth Circuit covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, but many cases route through Texas.
- That routing amplifies the Fifth Circuit's impact nationwide despite other circuits rejecting the policy.