Community Rallies at Federal Court in Support of Bay Area Organizer & Tattoo Artist; Federal Judge Extends Protection from ICE Re-Detention for Two Days While Court Considers Preliminary Injunction
- CCIJ
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
For media inquiries, please contact:
Esperanza Cuautle, esperanza[@]pangealegal.org; 415-271-5644
Alex Mensing, alex[@]ccijustice.org, 415-684-5463
July 16, 2025
Yesterday, Tuesday, July 15, around one hundred people rallied outside the U.S. Federal District Court in support of beloved local tattoo artist, community organizer, and immigrant rights leader Guillermo Reyes, who faces the possibility of being re-detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The courtroom where District Judge Rita Lin heard arguments in Guillermo’s case to remain free was completely filled by his supporters, as was an overflow courtroom, with additional rally-goers remaining outside. Judge Lin extended a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent ICE from re-detaining Guillermo for two days until July 17 while the court considers whether to grant a preliminary injunction in this habeas case. Additional details on the legal situation below.
Statement from Guillermo Medina Reyes:
“We shouldn’t be afraid to fight for what’s fair, what’s just and what’s humane. I hope that everybody keeps on fighting and pushing, not just for me, but for the people that are gonna come, generation after generation, because if we don’t put a stop to this now, it’s going to get worse for them, and we can’t let that happen.”
Statement from Esperanza Cuautle, Community Organizer & Co-Director of Pangea Legal Services:
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Guillermo since 2022, while he was detained by ICE at Golden State Annex, and I’ve seen his growth, his leadership, his drive for justice and for collective liberation, and that’s the reason why we’re here. We all share the same value, that our liberation is collective or it won’t be liberation at all.
“Today’s decision is a step forward, but words are not enough to express how stressful it is for Guillermo to live with the continued threat of detention over his shoulders. He’s not just constrained by not knowing what will happen after Thursday, but he is constrained by an ankle monitor that limits his options and ability to function daily. This fight is far from over.”
Statement from Victoria Sun, Guillermo’s Immigration Attorney & Co-Director of Pangea Legal Services:
“When an Immigration Judge releases someone from detention on a bond, ICE cannot unilaterally revoke that release and subject someone yet again to the horrors of immigration detention. ICE has been unconstitutionally detaining and redetaining people. I hope that Guillermo’s bravery in challenging this federal agency’s attempts to lock him up again motivates and encourages others in similar positions to also fight for their rights.
“This is an example of how we may have sanctuary policies in many of our cities and counties where district attorneys and police departments aren’t allowed to work with ICE directly, but the overcriminalization of Black and brown people and immigrants does funnel people into ICE’s dragnet.”
Legal Breakdown of Hearing
The specific question before the district court judge today was whether or not due process requires the government to provide Guillermo with a bond hearing before re-detaining him. Importantly in Guillermo's case, it was an Immigration Judge -- not ICE -- that ordered his release on bond in 2023. Therefore, as Guillermo's attorneys explained to the judge, there are added protections that Guillermo is entitled to, having received a prior custody decision from a "neutral" decisionmaker, as opposed to ICE, which is anything but neutral. During the hearing, the judge pressed the government attorney, who finally admitted that ICE does not believe due process is required at all when deciding to strip Guillermo -- in addition to many other noncitizens -- of his liberty and place him back in a cage for an indefinite amount of time, allowing for arbitrary, unchecked power by ICE.
Background
Guillermo has lived in the U.S. since he was 6 years old and has dedicated his life to healing, art, and community organizing. He spent over a year in ICE detention from 2021 to 2023, during which time he was outspoken about the abuse and injustices he faced, co-organizing labor strikes and hunger strikes and suing the private prison company GEO Group for retaliating against him and others. Since his release on bond, he has continued to advocate for the rights of immigrants and been an active member of community organizations, worked as a carpenter, and became known and beloved as a tattoo artist. Last month, however, ICE announced their intent to redetain him, leading to legal and community efforts to support him.
Guillermo’s fight is part of a broader struggle against ICE’s abuse and retaliation—and the Bay Area community is once again rising up to say: We will not let ICE take him.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see our past press release on Guillermo’s recent efforts to remain free:
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