Dr_Vulpine
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Dr_Vulpine
@drvulpine.bsky.social
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Reposted by Dr_Vulpine
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
In a sign of how explosive ICE knew this secret memo would be, one whistleblower says he was only allowed to read the memo and was barred from taking written notes, and warned that employees had been punished for disagreeing.

At least one ICE instructor resigned rather than teach the illegal memo!
Consciousness of Guilt: An Opaque and Secret Memorandum with Threats of Reprisal 13. Despite the May 12 Memo being addressed to “All ICE Personnel,” in practice the memorandum has only been distributed to select DHS and ICE officials. Furthermore, our clients have been told that the May 12 Memo must be treated with unusually strict access control for a document without any confidentiality markings. 14. To wit: one of our clients was allowed to view the memorandum only in the presence of their supervisor. They were handed the Memorandum, allowed a few minutes to review it without the ability to take notes, and were directed to hand it back. They were also informed that another employee had been reassigned for contradicting a supervisor about a different ICE policy. Our client understood their supervisor shared this piece of information as a warning that expressing disagreement with the new arrest policy could result in adverse career consequences. 15. Together, our clients are aware of multiple DHS employees who faced retaliation for expressing their concerns and/or disagreement with the May 12 Memo’s policy change, likely constituting prohibited personnel practices. One client is aware of a seasoned government instructor, tasked with teaching this new doctrine, who chose to resign rather than be forced to teach what they understood to be unlawful.
January 21, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Dr_Vulpine
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
This is the Trump administration trashing the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution in pursuit of its mass deportation agenda.

Worse, a footnote to this memo suggest they won't even rule out authorizing home invasions with no judicial warrant for people not even ordered removed!
This guidance addresses only the use of administrative warrants to arrest aliens subject to final orders of removal issued by an Immigration judge, the BIA, or a U.S. district court judge or magistrate judge in their place of residence. This scoping is not intended to concede that an administrative warrant would be insufficient to arrest an alien in his or her place of residence prior to a final order of removal or where there is a final order of removal issued by an immigration officer.
January 21, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Dr_Vulpine
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
The memo cites no legal authority, only a further secret DHS's General Counsel (replaced in the early days with a Trump loyalist) opinion saying administrative warrants filled out by an ICE officer are sufficient to break into homes of people ordered removed.

Here's what such a warrant looks like.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement WARRANT OF REMOVAL/DEPORTATION To any immigration officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security: [Blank full name] who entered the United States at [blank port of entry] on [blank date] is subject to removal/deportation from the United States, based on a final order by (a series of check-boxes follow) - an immigration judge in exclusion, deportation, or removal proceedings - a designated official - the Board of Immigration Appeals - a United States District or Magistrate Court Judge and pursuant to the following provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act I the undersigned officer of the United States, by virtue of the power and authority vested in the Secretary of Homeland Security under the laws of the United Stats and by his or her direction, command you to take into custody and remove from the United States the above-named alien pursuant to law, at the expense of: [blank spaces follow for signature of immigration officer, title of immigration officer, and date and office location] - To be completed by immigration officer executing the warrant: Name of alien being removed: [blank space] Port, date, and manner of removal: [blank space] Underneath are spots for photos of the person and right index fingerprint, followed by a signature of the person being fingerprinted and the signature and title of the immigration officer, and a line for the officer to sign if they witnessed the person's departure. There's a space underneath for a narrative "if actual departure is not witnessed, fully identify the sources or means of verification of departure."
January 21, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Dr_Vulpine
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Chillingly, the whistleblower says that ICE trainers were directed (no paper trail?) to train all of ICE's new recruits that these administrative warrants authorize breaking into peoples' homes, even though DHS's own training materials still make clear that's illegal!
12. Upon information and belief, and consistent with the May 12 Memo, instructors for new ICE recruits are directed to teach that Form I-205 allows ICE agents to arrest aliens in their home - without consent to enter the residence and without judicial warrant. Our clients understand that this instruction contradicts DHS’s own written materials currently used to train ICE cadets. According to Basic Immigration Enforcement Training Program materials used to train ICE cadets for Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), “...a warrant of removal/deportation does NOT alone authorize a 4th amendment search of any kind.”20
January 21, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Dr_Vulpine
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
ICE secretly told its officers that any time someone has been ordered removed, ICE can break down their door.

It has been accepted for generations that the only thing which can authorize agents to break into your home is a warrant signed by a judge. No wonder ICE hid this memo!
May 12, 2025 MEMORANDUM FOR: All ICE Personnel FROM: Todd Lyons Acting Director SUBJECT: Utilizing Form I-205, Warrant of Removal On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to "ensur[e] the successful enforcement of final orders of removal." 90 Fed. Reg. 8443, 8444 (Jan. 20, 2025) (E.O. 14159). Essential to the removal of aliens subject to final orders of removal is the ability to locate and arrest them. To this end, certain supervisory immigration officers within both Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are authorized to issue an administrative warrant, Form I-205, Warrant of Removal (Form 1-205), for the arrest of an alien with a final order of removal. 8 C.F.R. § 241.2(a)(1). All U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and deportation officers are authorized to execute Forms 1-205. 8 C.F.R. § 287.5(e)(3)(iii) - (y) Although the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not historically relied on administrative warrants alone to arrest aliens subject to final orders of removal in their place of residence, the DHS Office of the General Counsel has recently determined that the U.S. Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the immigration regulations do not prohibit relying on administrative warrants for this purpose. Accordingly, in light of this legal determination, ICE immigration officers may arrest and detain aliens subject to a final under of removal issued by an immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), or a U.S. Arrow) district court judge or magistrate judge in their place of residence.23 ICE immigration officers should consider all available enforcement mechanisms, including the use of a Form 1-205 to arrest an alien in their place of residence, to achieve the requirements of E.O. 14159 in accordance with applicable law and policies. This guidance informs the use of Forms 1-205 and provides to ICE law enforcement personnel a reminder of the general limitations and exceptions that may apply when effectuating arrests in an alien's residence. General Guidelines ICE law enforcement officers receive extensive training on the legal and procedural requirements for making administrative and criminal arrests. ICE personnel must remain cognizant of all existing laws and policies pertaining to arrests when carrying out civil immigration enforcement actions. Prior to entering a residence to conduct an administrative immigration arrest pursuant to Form I-205, officers and agents must ensure the Form 1-205 is properly completed and is supported by a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge, the BIA, a U.S. district court, or a magistrate judge. This is essential because that order establishes probable cause. Officers and agents must also have reason to believe that the subject alien resides at and is currently located in the address where the Form I-205 is to be served.
January 21, 2026 at 10:09 PM