President Donald Trump secured a major victory for his immigration agenda Friday night after a federal appeals court ruled that illegal aliens can be held without bond while their immigration cases are pending. The decision from the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals marks a significant turning point in the administration’s push for stronger immigration enforcement.
“Tonight our [Justice Department] attorneys secured yet another crucial legal victory in support of [President] Trump’s immigration agenda,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement on X. She called the ruling “a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn.”
Tonight our @TheJusticeDept attorneys secured yet another crucial legal victory in support of @POTUS Trump’s immigration agenda.
The Fifth Circuit just held illegal aliens can rightfully be detained without bond – a significant blow against activist judges who have been…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) February 7, 2026
The court’s ruling upholds the administration’s position that detention without bond is necessary to ensure illegals do not vanish into the interior of the country before a final ruling is made. It represents the first time a federal court has ruled on Trump’s expedited removal framework.
Eric Wessan, Solicitor General of Iowa, applauded the decision as “ENORMOUS,” noting that it gives the Trump administration broad authority to detain and deport those who entered the country illegally. “Illegal aliens may be detained and removed!” he declared in a celebratory post.
??ENORMOUS Immigration win for President Trump. The Fifth Circuit, the first federal court to address President Trump’s expedited removal efforts, sides with the administration. Illegal aliens may be detained and removed! Judge Jones, joined by Duncan. Judge Douglas dissents. pic.twitter.com/4K89hrb59T
— Eric W. (@EWess92) February 7, 2026
Legal experts are also calling the decision a major boost to Trump’s efforts. Ilya Shapiro of the Manhattan Institute noted that the Fifth Circuit’s ruling aligns with basic constitutional principles, saying, “Seems obviously right – you can detain and hold illegal aliens rather than automatically releasing them on (insignificant) bond.”
The court’s decision pushes back against lower-court rulings where left-leaning judges granted bond hearings to illegals, weakening enforcement and complicating deportation proceedings. The Trump administration argues these bond releases allow potentially dangerous individuals to disappear and reoffend.
This legal win supports one of the president’s top priorities: restoring law and order by cracking down on illegal immigration. As part of that effort, the Department of Homeland Security reported in December that 2.5 million illegal aliens had exited the country since Trump returned to office in 2025 — with 605,000 deported and 1.9 million leaving voluntarily.
While estimates vary, the Office of Homeland Security Statistics places the illegal alien population at 11 million as of early 2022. Pew Research says the number hit an all-time high of 14 million by 2023, surging under the Biden administration’s lax enforcement and border failures.
With the Fifth Circuit decision now backing the Trump policy, federal immigration officers are expected to ramp up detentions and removals under the expedited removal program — a key part of the president’s promise to regain control of the border and keep communities safe.
The post Trump Scores ‘Enormous’ Legal Win On Immigration appeared first on Real News Now.
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