ICE Detention in 2026: Bond Eligibility After Q. Li and Yajure-Hurtado, Mandatory Detention, and Federal Habeas Strategy

John W. Lawit, Founder and Principal Attorney | John W. Lawit, LLC

John W. Lawit is the founder and principal attorney of John W. Lawit, LLC, an immigration law firm with offices in Irving, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. He began practicing immigration law in 1980 and was appointed a U.S. Immigration Judge in 1985. His practice spans family-based and employment-based immigration, EB-5 investor visas, non-immigrant visas, DACA, adjustment of status, green cards, citizenship and naturalization, humanitarian relief, deportation and removal defense, waivers of inadmissibility, and appeals.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Lawit earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire – Franklin Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire, and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he was named to the Dean’s List. He was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1978, New Mexico in 1980, Texas in 1992, and Canada in 2010.

• Recognition & Leadership

Mr. Lawit has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 1991 and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell (2022). His honors include Southwest Super Lawyers (2008, 2009, 2011–2014), Top 10 Immigration Lawyers in Albuquerque (2023), and Best Business in Irving, Texas (2024). He formerly chaired the Immigration Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico and was instrumental in establishing the Immigration Section of the Dallas Bar Association.

• Professional Involvement

He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and serves on the board of the ACLU of New Mexico. His pro bono work includes service with the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Healing the Children, the Institute for Spanish Arts, Catholic Social Services, and Jewish Family Services.

• Experience

In addition to more than four decades in practice, Mr. Lawit taught immigration law beginning in 1983 and served as an adjunct professor at both the University of New Mexico School of Law and the Texas Tech University School of Law until 1988. He published multiple articles on immigration law and reform between 1984 and 1995.

Sastry Sarva, Of Counsel | Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law

Sastry Sarva serves as Of Counsel at Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law, practicing from the firm’s offices in Fresno, California, and San Antonio, Texas. His practice concentrates on removal defense and immigration matters, along with civil and commercial litigation, alternate dispute resolution, and cross-border litigation.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Sarva is licensed to practice law in both India and California, reflecting his cross-jurisdictional legal qualifications. He earned his law degree from the National Law University, Jodhpur, and later obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of California, Berkeley, further strengthening his legal education with both Indian and U.S. academic credentials.

• Recognition & Leadership

Mr. Sarva currently serves as Of Counsel at Singh Ahluwalia. Prior to joining the firm, he held a leadership role at the Law Offices of Robert B. Jobe, where he oversaw the firm’s removal defense department, managing its immigration defense practice and representing clients in removal proceedings.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. Sarva’s professional practice is centered on immigration law, with a particular emphasis on representing individuals in removal proceedings. His work also encompasses civil and commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and cross-border litigation, reflecting his involvement in both domestic and international legal matters.

• Experience

Throughout his legal career, Mr. Sarva has developed experience across multiple practice areas, including immigration law, civil litigation, commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and cross-border disputes. Before joining Singh Ahluwalia, he directed the removal defense department at the Law Offices of Robert B. Jobe, where he supervised immigration defense matters. In his current role as Of Counsel, he continues to represent clients in removal proceedings while applying his broad litigation experience to complex legal matters.

SESSION 1 – Bond Eligibility and Custody Redetermination After the 2025 Mandatory-Detention Shift | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

This session examines who still qualifies for an immigration bond hearing after the BIA’s 2025 rulings, the reclassification of interior arrests under INA § 235(b), and how to build a winning custody redetermination record fast.

BREAK | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

SESSION 2 – When Bond Is Denied: Habeas Corpus, the Circuit Split, and Release Alternatives | 1:10pm– 2:10pm

This session covers federal habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 as the primary remedy for detained clients denied bond, including the developing circuit split, the Supreme Court’s pending review, and practical filing strategy.