Habeas in the Fifth Circuit After Buenrostro

On February 6, 2026, the Fifth Circuit issued Buenrostro-Mendez v. Bondi , No. 25-cv-20496, 2026 WL 323330 (5th Cir. Feb. 6, 2026), a split decision with a strong dissent in which the Fifth Circuit sided with DHS and the BIA to determine that all noncitizens who are present in the United States without lawful admission are subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) during removal proceedings, rather than discretionary detention under § 1226(a). Despite Buenrostro , habeas opti