Recent cases of US citizens suing ICE for wrongful arrest

1. What recent cases look like — courthouse arrests and “dismiss-then-arrest” tactics

Since mid-2025, multiple lawsuits have targeted ICE’s practice of arresting people who show up for immigration hearings or whose cases have been dismissed, with organizations like the NIJC, ACLU, NYCLU and others filing federal actions seeking injunctions and records; plaintiffs include noncitizens and in some filings people who say they were separated from family members who are U.S. citizens ^{[2] [1] [6] [7]}. Advocates contend DHS instructed ICE officers to arrest people even when immigration judges declined immediate dismissal or when individuals sought to appeal — a practice the NIJC complaint calls contrary to statutory and judicial safeguards ^[2].

2. U.S. citizens among the plaintiffs and claimants — confirmed examples and litigation steps

Reporting and advocacy statements document U.S. citizens have been detained and have brought or contemplated claims: a federal court ruled in favor of a U.S. citizen illegally detained for deportation in Florida (ACLU press release) and civil-rights groups reported U.S. citizens were among those detained in various operations, leading to suits and administrative FTCA claims such as the MALDEF notice seeking damages for a U.S. citizen allegedly assaulted and detained ^{[3] [4]}. The ACLU has also chronicled historical and ongoing cases (e.g., Gonzalez v. ICE) where U.S. citizens challenged detainers and detention practices ^{[5] [8]}.

3. Legal pathways plaintiffs are using — FTCA, Bivens-type claims, and class actions

Advocates and lawyers are using multiple avenues: administrative Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) claims against DHS agencies (as MALDEF described) and civil-rights litigation seeking damages or injunctions; some suits seek class relief or FOIA records about the arrests ^{[4] [7]}. Commentators and legal groups note doctrinal hurdles — courts’ narrowing of Bivens remedies and the FTCA’s discretionary-function exceptions can limit suits against federal officers, prompting legislative proposals (e.g., California bill to restore Bivens-like remedies) and strategic reliance on constitutional and statutory claims ^{[9] [10]}.

4. Court rulings, settlements, and government pushback — mixed outcomes

There are reported wins and setbacks: a federal ruling in Florida found ICE lacked probable cause to issue a detainer and ordered relief for a citizen detained based on that detainer ^[3]. At the same time, DHS publicly disputed some ACLU-supported claims, saying at least one suit alleging DHS deported a U.S. citizen was dropped and labeling it “baseless” ^[11]. These tensions underscore how the same factual episodes are litigated and contested by advocates and the government ^{[3] [11]}.

5. Scale and patterns — advocacy groups allege systemic practices; government disputes some narratives

Advocacy filings and local reporting argue ICE’s tactics are widespread — from “Operation Midway Blitz” arrests across jurisdictions to arrests at Home Depots and courthouse exits — and that some of the detained included lawful residents or citizens ^{[12] [13] [14]}. DHS statements and at least one departmental release characterize some lawsuits as false or dropped, creating competing narratives about scope and accuracy ^{[11] [13]}.

6. What this means for a U.S. citizen considering action

Legal commentary and practice guides emphasize U.S. citizens wrongfully detained may have avenues to seek damages or relief, often starting with an FTCA administrative claim and counsel experienced in federal torts and civil-rights litigation; practitioners warn of statute-of-limitations and sovereign-immunity complexities that make prompt, lawyered action important ^{[15] [16] [9]}. Legislative fixes (e.g., bills to permit suits against federal officers) are being proposed in some states to ease those barriers ^[10].

7. Limitations in available reporting and open questions

Available sources document numerous suits and claims but do not provide a single comprehensive list of all U.S. citizens who have sued ICE for wrongful arrest, nor do they settle how many citizen claims have succeeded or been definitively resolved; some government statements dispute particular civil-rights allegations ^{[11] [7]}. For case-specific advice or to confirm current filings in a particular district, the reporting here is a starting point but not exhaustive ^{[7] [2]}.

If you want, I can compile the named cases and filings mentioned in these sources into a timeline (with citations) or search for more recent court dockets and press releases tied to a particular state or person.