Fact check: Can ICE deport US citizens without due process?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, ICE cannot legally deport US citizens without due process, but there is documented evidence of US citizens being improperly detained by ICE. Legal analysts quoted in the sources state that it is not legal for ICE to arrest and detain US citizens without probable cause or a warrant ^[1]. However, the analyses reveal specific cases where US citizens have been detained by ICE, including Elzon Lemus, who was briefly detained by federal immigration officers in what appears to be a case of racial profiling ^[1].

The sources highlight broader concerns about due process violations in immigration enforcement. The ACLU has filed lawsuits to block the Trump administration's fast-track deportation policy, citing due process concerns for immigrants generally ^[2]. Additionally, the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to deport convicted criminals to 'third countries' without a 'meaningful opportunity' for them to bring claims of potential torture, persecution, or death ^[3], though this specifically applies to non-citizens.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about the distinction between detention and deportation. While the analyses show that US citizens have been improperly detained by ICE ^[1], there is no evidence presented of actual deportations of US citizens occurring.

Missing from the discussion is the legal framework that should protect US citizens - the analyses indicate that ICE actions against citizens would violate constitutional due process requirements, but don't elaborate on the specific legal protections or remedies available to wrongfully detained citizens.

The analyses also reveal that ICE is currently holding a record 59,000 immigrant detainees, nearly half with no criminal record ^[4], suggesting that aggressive enforcement policies may create conditions where citizens could be caught up in immigration sweeps, but this broader enforcement context isn't fully explored in relation to citizen protections.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that may be misleading by conflating detention with deportation. While the analyses show documented cases of US citizens being improperly detained by ICE, there is no evidence presented of US citizens actually being deported.

The question also lacks specificity about what constitutes "due process" in this context. The analyses suggest that any ICE action against US citizens without probable cause or a warrant would violate due process ^[1], but the original question doesn't distinguish between different types of due process violations or their severity.

Additionally, the framing of the question may create unnecessary alarm by suggesting that deportation of citizens is a common or systematic practice, when the evidence presented shows isolated incidents of improper detention rather than systematic deportation of US citizens.