Fact check: How long can ICE detain a green card holder before a deportation hearing in 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, none of the sources contain specific information about the maximum time limit ICE can detain a green card holder before a deportation hearing in 2025. The sources consistently indicate that while detention of green card holders is occurring, the exact duration limits are not specified in the available materials.

The analyses reveal several relevant facts about current detention practices:

• ICE has been actively detaining immigrants at their hearings in immigration court since May 2025, with the situation described as "rapidly changing" ^[1]
• Detained dockets historically move much faster than non-detained dockets, suggesting expedited processing for those in custody ^[2]
• Real cases demonstrate extended detention periods, such as Lewelyn Dixon, a green card holder who was detained for almost three months ^[3]
• Another case involves Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder held in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana as his case proceeds, indicating detention can last for extended periods ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes there is a specific time limit for ICE detention of green card holders, but the analyses suggest this may not be clearly defined or publicly available information. Several important contextual elements are missing:

• The immigration removal proceedings process involves multiple stages including master calendar hearings, bond hearings, and individual merits hearings, which could affect detention duration ^[2]
• Green card holders can be subject to expedited removal processes, which may have different timing requirements ^[1]
• New USCIS policies announced in 2025 have made immigrants applying for green cards through family-based petitions more vulnerable to deportation, potentially affecting detention practices ^[5]
• The analyses indicate that green card holders' concerns about detention and deportation are growing, with some noting "they've never been afraid before" ^[6]

Legal advocacy organizations such as the National Immigrant Justice Center would benefit from having clear detention time limits to better protect their clients' rights, while ICE and immigration enforcement agencies may benefit from maintaining flexibility in detention duration to facilitate removal proceedings.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that may be misleading: it presupposes that there is a specific, publicly known time limit for ICE detention of green card holders before deportation hearings. The analyses suggest this information is either not clearly established, not publicly available, or varies by case circumstances.

The question's framing as a straightforward factual inquiry may inadvertently spread misinformation by implying such limits are well-defined and easily accessible, when the reality appears more complex. The analyses show that detention periods can vary significantly, with some cases lasting months while proceedings continue ^{[3] [4]}.

Additionally, the question doesn't acknowledge that detention practices have been evolving rapidly in 2025, particularly since May when ICE began making arrests at immigration court hearings ^[1], suggesting that any previous time limits or practices may have changed.