Western District of Kentucky • 4:26-cv-00558

#1

Aug 14, 2026

PETITION for Writ of Habeas Corpus (filing fee $5, receipt number AKYWDC-4622084) filed by Gurjinder Singh. (Attachments: # 1 Evidence, # 2 Cover Sheet) (MNM) (Entered: 08/17/2026)

#2

Aug 17, 2026

Case Assignment (Random Selection): Case Assigned to Judge Benjamin Beaton. (MNM) (Entered: 08/17/2026)

#3

Aug 17, 2026

NOTICE of Appearance by Bradley Johnson on behalf of Todd Blanche, LaDeon Francis, Todd Lyons, Markwayne Mullin (Johnson, Bradley) (Entered: 08/17/2026)

#4

Aug 17, 2026

MOTION TO APPEAR PRO HAC VICE by attorney Simranjit Kaur (filing fee $ 150, receipt number AKYWDC-4623162.) by Gurjinder Singh. (Kaur, Simranjit) Modified on 8/18/2026 to change text and filing event to motion (JM). (Additional attachment(s) added on 8/18/2026: # 1 Proposed Order) (JM). (Entered: 08/17/2026)

#5

Aug 17, 2026

MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order by Petitioner Gurjinder Singh (Attachments: # 1 TRO Checklist, # 2 Evidence, # 3 Attorney Dec) (Kaur, Simranjit) (Entered: 08/17/2026)

Aug 17, 2026

REMARK: Electronic notification of the petition and any subsequent order constitutes valid service on all federal respondents named therein as of the date of this remark pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding and Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the United States District Courts, which the Court is applying to these cases. (MNM)

Aug 17, 2026

Remark (Public)

#6

Aug 18, 2026

TEXT ORDER: Under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A), the Court refers this matter to Magistrate Judge Brennenstuhl for hearing and determining all pretrial matters, including non-dispositive motions. Judge Brennenstuhl may conduct a settlement conference in this matter at any time. This Notice of Electronic Filing is the Official ORDER for this entry. No document is attached.cc: counsel (JM) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

#7

Aug 18, 2026

NOTICE of Deficiency re 5 Motion for TRO. Proposed order not tendered. Failure to comply will be brought to the attention of the Court. Response due by 8/25/2026. (JM) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

#8

Aug 18, 2026

TEXT ORDER: In response to the petition for a writ of habeas corpus (DN 1 ) and the Petitioner's TRO motion (DN 5 ), the Court directs the Respondents to show cause, no later than 8/21/26, why the writ should not be granted. See 28 U.S.C. § 2243. The Respondents should address whether, considering the allegations in the petition, Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft, 175 F.4th 713 (6th Cir. 2026), controls the outcome. Unless the parties file notice that they seek a hearing, the Court will presume that the petition presents no material factual disputes and decide it on the papers. The Clerk of Court shall forward by certified mail, return receipt requested, one copy of the petition and this order on each Respondent who has not been designated by the United States Attorney's Office, as agreed to by the Attorney's Office and the Clerk in the 1/20/26 Memorandum of Understanding, to receive electronic notice and service. This Notice of Electronic Filing is the Official ORDER for this entry. No document is attached. cc: counsel, Respondent Mike Lewis- Jailer at Hopkins County Jail (via certified mail) w/ DN 1 Petition (JM) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

#9

Aug 18, 2026

CERTIFIED MAILING FROM THE COURT addressed to Respondent Mike Lewis re DN8 (Text Order), and DN 1 (Petition). (JM) (Entered: 08/18/2026)

Aug 18, 2026

Docket Correction

Aug 18, 2026

Order - TEXT ONLY

Aug 18, 2026

NOTICE OF DOCKET CORRECTION re 4 Pro Hac Renewal Fee. ERROR: Incorrect ECF filing event selected. The docket sheet has been modified to reflect this is a motion to appear pro hac vice. Nothing further is needed from the filer for this entry. (JM)

#10

Aug 20, 2026

RESPONSE TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE filed by Todd Blanche, Todd Lyons, Markwayne Mullin. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit I-213, # 2 Exhibit I-862, # 3 Exhibit I-213, # 4 Exhibit I-200, # 5 Exhibit cancellation of release, # 6 Exhibit EOIR-28) (Johnson, Bradley) (Entered: 08/20/2026)

#11

Aug 25, 2026

TEXT ORDER: In response to the Court's show-cause order, the Government agrees that Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft, 175 F.4th 713 (6th Cir. 2026), "dictates the detention authority under which Petitioner is held," that is, 8 U.S.C. sec. 1226(a) rather than sec. 1225(b)(2)(A) applies here. Response (DN 10 ) at 2-3. But that decision, the Government contends, does not afford the Petitioner "any form of relief in habeas because he was never detained under the § 1225 legal theory." Id. And his lack of a custody-redetermination doesn't violate the Due Process Clause, according to the Government, because the Petitioner hasn't requested such a hearing. Id. at 5. Instead, it continues, the Petitioner must exhaust administrative remedies by requesting a bond hearing. Id. The Government cites two regulations, 8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.19(b) & (e), that purportedly support its position. But both address the manner of requesting a hearing, not any express requirement to do so. And exhaustion of administrative remedies, absent a specific command by Congress, is a "prudential, court-created doctrine." See, e.g., Perkovic v. I.N.S., 33 F.3d 615, 619 (6th Cir. 1994). That said, the Court agrees that, in the ordinary course, "[h]abeas should not be a substitute for the prescribed process for seeking release from custody," Response at 7, at least so long as the Government has pointed to a facially valid source of detention authority (as it has here, see 8 U.S.C. sec. 1226). So the Court won't order the Petitioner's immediate releaseand instead construes the habeas petition (DN 1 ) and motion for a TRO (DN 5 ) as evidence that the Petitioner quite plainly seeks a custody-redetermination hearing. Given the Government's concession that Lopez-Campos "dictates" its detention authority and its acknowledgement that Immigration Judges are no longer denying bond on jurisdictional grounds, id. at 5, the Court declines to dismiss the petition on exhaustion grounds based in part on the Petitioner's apparent desire for a custody-redetermination hearing. So the Court directs the Government to provide a bond hearing within 5 days or promptly update this Court on its basis for not doing so, along with the outcome of any hearing, the status of the Petitioner, and any new or additional facts relevant to these proceedings. Consistent with this order, the Court also denies without prejudice the Petitioner's request for emergency injunctive relief (DN 5 ) to the extent that he suggests his immediate release, and not a bond hearing, is the exclusive remedy to mitigate irreparable harm. Compare Petition at 24 ("direct Respondents to provide Petitioner a prompt, meaningful, and individualized custody hearing before a neutral adjudicator"), with TRO Motion at 22 ("immediately releas[e] him from Respondents' custody"). This Notice of Electronic Filing is the Official ORDER for this entry. No document is attached. cc: Counsel (JM) (Entered: 08/25/2026)

Aug 25, 2026

Order on Motion for TRO

#12

Aug 26, 2026

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl on 08/25/2026 granting 4 Motion for Simranjit Kaurto Appear Pro Hac Vice. cc: Counsel (HMC) (Entered: 08/26/2026)

#13

Aug 27, 2026

RETURN RECEIPT signed on behalf of Respondent Mike Lewis re 9 CERTIFIED MAIL. (HMC) (Entered: 08/27/2026)

#14

Aug 28, 2026

MOTION for Extension of Time to Conduct Bond Hearing re 11 Order on Motion for TRO,,,,,,,,,,,, by Respondents Todd Blanche, LaDeon Francis, Todd Lyons, Markwayne Mullin (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Order) (Thompson, Timothy) (Entered: 08/28/2026)

#15

Aug 31, 2026

STATUS REPORT (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1 - Order of the Immigration Judge) by Todd Blanche, LaDeon Francis, Todd Lyons, Markwayne Mullin. (Thompson, Timothy) (Entered: 08/31/2026)

#16

Sep 02, 2026

TEXT ORDER: The Court grants the Government's motion (DN 14 ) for a one-day extension. This Notice of Electronic Filing is the Official ORDER for this entry. No document is attached. cc: Counsel (JM) (Entered: 09/02/2026)

Sep 02, 2026

Order on Motion for Miscellaneous Relief