Thursday February 27, 2025
The Anchorage federal courthouse (KDLG file photo)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (HOL) — A federal judge has ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is illegally detaining a Somali asylum seeker in Anchorage, ordering his immediate release in a case that highlights contradictions in U.S. immigration policy.
Roble Ahmed Salad, 27, has been held at the Anchorage jail since Feb. 5 after being arrested by ICE as part of a nationwide immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon found that Salad’s continued detention violates federal law, as the government failed to prove Somalia was indefinitely willing to accept deportees.
“His removal is not reasonably foreseeable,” Reardon wrote in his ruling, stating that without a realistic deportation plan, the government has no legal grounds to keep him in custody. The judge recommended that an Alaska District Court judge grant his release under supervision.
Salad entered the United States in 2022 through the Mexican border, seeking asylum. His claim was denied, and in 2023, an immigration court issued a deportation order. However, Somalia’s ongoing conflict and political instability prevented his removal. U.S. officials acknowledged the country was too dangerous for forced returns, leaving Salad in legal limbo.
After his release, he relocated to Anchorage, where he found work as a caregiver at an assisted living facility and applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows individuals from war-torn or crisis-stricken nations to remain in the U.S.
Despite his pending TPS application, ICE agents detained him earlier this month, arguing that Somalia had become more accepting of deportees under Trump’s immigration policies and that Salad remained under a final removal order.
Judge Reardon rejected that claim, ruling that the government had not demonstrated Somalia’s indefinite willingness to accept deportees. Without a viable removal plan, his continued detention was unconstitutional.
“As a result, Petitioner is entitled to immediate release from custody subject to appropriate conditions of supervision,” the ruling said.
Salad’s case has drawn attention from immigration advocates, who see it as an example of ICE’s aggressive detention tactics, even in states like Alaska, where immigration enforcement is rarely in the spotlight.
“This ruling reinforces a fundamental principle: the government cannot detain someone indefinitely when deportation is not possible,” said one of Salad’s attorneys.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Anchorage has yet to announce whether it will appeal the ruling. If the government challenges the decision, Salad could remain in ICE custody while the case moves through higher courts.
For now, the federal judge’s recommendation stands: Salad should be released, pending final approval from an Alaska District Court judge.
