President Donald Trump stands outside the White House, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
A federal judge in Washington state strongly criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for its “willful” and “deliberate” violations of a court order in a case in which an immigrant was repeatedly chained up and transferred to various detention facilities.
In a seven-page order this week, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright, a Joe Biden appointee, granted a motion for sanctions filed by attorneys for Armando Benitez Chavez.
The Thursday order is intended to compensate Benitez for the government’s actions “in twice transferring” the petitioner “to another detention facility” in violation of a court order “requiring pre-transfer notice.”
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The court, relying on briefs, oral argument, and supplemental evidence provided by the parties, concluded that both times Benitez was transferred “amounted to willful violations of the Court’s order” and, in turn, that the petitioner “is entitled to compensatory sanctions for the harm he suffered as a result and for his attorney’s fees.”
To that end, the court ordered ICE to pay out $5,498 “in compensatory sanctions” and $11,455 “in reasonable attorney’s fees.”
The underlying habeas corpus case began in late October 2025.
At the time, Benitez was among a group of immigrants who sued after the Trump administration began ICE raids throughout the interior of the country under a novel — and disputed — enforcement power.
In July 2025, ICE issued the new policy, instructing all agents to deny bond for anyone who entered the country without “inspection.” That policy came via memo that opened the floodgates of litigation and resulted in widespread judicial condemnation.
As in many similar cases, the public record is scant because habeas petitions are frequently filed under seal.
Cartwright quickly issued an order aiming to keep Benitez and his co-petitioners in the same detention facility so as to retain jurisdiction over the case and to facilitate their ability to seek legal aid.
Under the terms of that order, ICE had to provide “at least 48 hours’ notice (or 72 hours’ notice if the period extends into the weekend) prior to any action to move or transfer any Petitioner.”
Along the way, Benitez was transferred without notice.
The first time, ICE transferred him the day after the court issued the initial order, to a detention facility in Arizona.
“The October 30, 2025 transfer amounts to a willful violation of the Court’s order,” the sanctions order reads. “ICE acted deliberately to transfer Mr. Benitez a day after the Court’s order was issued.”
The next move came within a week of the first transfer — but was all the more egregious due to other developments, the court said.
“Despite knowledge of the Court’s order, Respondents did not notify Mr. Benitez’s counsel that he was going to be transferred,” the sanctions order continues. “On November 7, the Court granted Mr. Benitez’s habeas petition. Yet on either November 7 or November 8, Respondents completed the planned transfer of Mr. Benitez to a detention facility in New Mexico.”
The government later revealed the flight to New Mexico occurred on Nov. 8, 2025. Then, after his release, Benitez was left in New Mexico. His family had to pay for airfare back to Washington.
“The second transfer on November 7 or 8, 2025 was also a willful violation of the Court’s order,” the sanctions order goes on. “Despite notice of the order, ICE began making deliberate preparations to transfer Mr. Benitez again.”
Cartwright offers details about the transfers:
Mr. Benitez was chained during both unlawful transfers. He describes that “[t]hey got us up in the early morning hours…they do not give us a bed until we are processed. It is a lot of time without sleep and in chains.” “The second time I was transferred I felt worse…It is hours of being awake in chains…”
In each instance, the government intentionally violated the court order by failing to provide the requisite notice, Cartwright found.
“Federal Respondents do not dispute that their counsel received the order the day before the transfer or that notice of the transfer to Mr. Benitez’s counsel should have been provided,” the sanctions order goes on.
For the second transfer, ICE first dissembled — claiming the successful habeas petition dissolved the transfer notice order. But that was not actually the order of events, the government admitted.
“The decision to transfer him was finalized on November 5,” the judge notes. “Yet again, no notice was given to his counsel.”
Cartwright took ICE to task for the repeat violations.
“But for both unlawful transfers, Mr. Benitez would not have endured the physical and emotional suffering and indignity of two long transfer flights in chains,” the sanctions order continues.
The post ‘Without sleep and in chains’: Federal judge sanctions ICE for ‘willful’ and ‘deliberate’ violations of court order first appeared on Law & Crime.
