Western District of Pennsylvania • 3:26-cv-01554

#1

Aug 10, 2026

PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus ( Filing fee $5, Receipt Number APAMDC-7533394), filed by Cesar Benjamin Aparecio Torres. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet)(lp) (Entered: 08/10/2026)

#2

Aug 10, 2026

PETITION FOR SPECIAL ADMISSION (PRO HAC VICE) by Peter Hansen on behalf of Cesar Benjamin Aparecio Torres Attorney Peter Hansen is seeking special admission Filing fee $ 50, receipt number APAMDC-7533745.. (Hansen, Peter) (Entered: 08/10/2026)

#3

Aug 11, 2026

ORDER TRANSFERRING CASE. Finding it to be in the interest of justice, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT this case be TRANSFERRED to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania for further proceedings. See 28 U.S.C. § 1631 (permitting transfer of a matter over which the court lacks jurisdiction to the appropriate forum when the court determines that it is in the interest of justice). Signed by Honorable Joseph F. Saporito, Jr on 8/11/26. (ms) (Entered: 08/11/2026)

#4

Aug 11, 2026

Case transferred in from District of Pennsylvania Middle; Case Number 3:26-cv-02292. Original file certified copy of transfer order and docket sheet received. (Entered: 08/11/2026)

Aug 11, 2026

Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan added. (rjr)

#5

Aug 12, 2026

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER. Petitioner's counsel shall serve Respondents with a copy of this Order and the Petition via e-mail, as specified, and file a notice of compliance. Respondents' counsel shall file a notice of appearance within 3 days of the filing of Petitioner's Certificate of Compliance of Service. Respondents shall file any responses or answers to the petition within 14 days of the date of service. Petitioner's reply is due within 5 days of Respondents' response. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 8/12/2026. (pak) (Entered: 08/12/2026)

#6

Aug 13, 2026

NOTICE of Appearance by Eleni Skezas on behalf of TODD BLANCHE, MARCOS CHARLES, DHS, EOIR, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Leonardo Oddo. (Skezas, Eleni) (Entered: 08/13/2026)

#7

Aug 13, 2026

CERTIFICATE of Compliance re 5 Case Management Order by Peter Hansen on behalf of Cesar Benjamin Aparecio Torres (Hansen, Peter) Modified text on 8/14/2026 to add document linkage. (kss) (Entered: 08/13/2026)

Aug 14, 2026

CLERK'S NOTICE OF CORRECTION re 7 Certificate of Compliance. ERROR: Document not linked. CORRECTION FOR FUTURE FILINGS: Filer advised to link filing to related document(s) in future filings. Clerk added link to appropriate document(s). THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THE FILING AT ISSUE. (kss)

#9

Aug 18, 2026

First MOTION for attorney Peter Thos. Hansen to Appear Pro Hac Vice, (Filing fee $70, Receipt # APAWDC-9809161) by Cesar Benjamin Aparecio Torres. (Attachments: # 1 Affidavit) (Hansen, Peter) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

#10

Aug 18, 2026

Proposed Order re 9 Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice For Peter Thos. Hansen by Cesar Benjamin Aparecio Torres. (Hansen, Peter) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

Aug 18, 2026

CLERK'S REQUEST FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION re 9 First MOTION for attorney Peter Thos. Hansen to Appear Pro Hac Vice.ERROR: Filer did not attach a Proposed Order as required by LCvR 7.CORRECTION REQUIRED: Filer to submit a proposed order using the Proposed Order event. Filer is to link the Proposed Order to the relevant motion in the event. (kss)

#11

Aug 19, 2026

ORDER granting 9 Motion for Peter Thomas Hansen to Appear Pro Hac Vice. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 8/19/2026. (pak) (Entered: 08/19/2026)

#12

Aug 26, 2026

RESPONSE to 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, filed by TODD BLANCHE, MARCOS CHARLES, DHS, EOIR, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Leonardo Oddo. (Skezas, Eleni) (Entered: 08/26/2026)

#13

Aug 27, 2026

ORDER. For the reasons stated in Villagrez v. Bondi, et al., No. 26-72, 2026 WL 545380 (W.D. Pa. Feb. 26, 2026) (Ranjan, J.), the Court GRANTS the 1 habeas petition. Additionally, to the extent that the government argues that the presence of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(A) subjects Petitioner to mandatory detention, the Court disagrees. See Qasemi v. Francis, No. 25-CV-10029 (LJL), 2025 WL 3654098, at *10-11, 13 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 17, 2025) (finding that Section 1182(d)(5)(A)'s language of "returned to the custody from which he was paroled" refers to DHS's control over Petitioner, not the prior detention status to which Petitioner was subjected to at an earlier time). The Court ISSUES the writ, on these terms. (1) Respondents shall cause Petitioner to be taken to a neutral immigration judge of the Executive Office of Immigration Review for an individualized bond hearing to occur within 30 days of this order, or else release Petitioner by such date. (2) Respondents shall ensure that such a hearing include the required due process, i.e., at a minimum, factfinding based on a record produced before the decisionmaker and disclosed to Petitioner; an opportunity to make arguments on the Petitioner's behalf; and the right to an individualized determination of Petitioner's interests. See Ghanem v. Warden Essex Cnty. Corr. Facility, No. 21-1908, 2022 WL 574624, at *2 (3d Cir. Feb. 25, 2022). (3) Petitioner shall be responsible for securing the necessary transcripts and record of the bond hearing. The Court further finds that Respondents' position was substantially justified in this case, so no fees shall be awarded. The Court trusts the immigration judge to comply with this order and ensure that Petitioner is provided due process, and therefore the immigration judge shall explain his or her individualized determination on the record. See Kamara v. Atty Gen. of U.S., 420 F.3d 202, 212 (3d Cir. 2005). The Clerk of Court shall administratively CLOSE this case. Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 8/27/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (pak) (Entered: 08/27/2026)

#14

Aug 27, 2026

FINAL JUDGMENT, entered consistent with the above order (ECF 13). Signed by Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on 8/27/2026. Text-only entry; no PDF document will issue. This text-only entry constitutes the Order of the Court or Notice on the matter. (pak) (Entered: 08/27/2026)

Aug 27, 2026

Judgment (Rule 58)

Aug 27, 2026

Order