A U.S. federal district court in Minnesota has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release Michael Opeoluwa Egbele, a Nigerian national who entered the United States without legal permission in 2003. The judge ruled that ICE had no legal basis to keep him in detention given the circumstances of his case. 

Egbele’s immigration issues began in 2012 after he was arrested on a drug‑related offence and placed in deportation proceedings. An immigration judge denied his asylum claim and ordered him removed, but ICE did not enforce that order at the time. Instead, he was released under supervision, checking in regularly with immigration authorities for more than a decade. 

Last month, ICE detained Egbele again during a routine check‑in, but he argued in court that he had not been properly notified of any revocation of his supervised release or given a chance to be heard before his detention. The judge agreed, finding errors in how ICE handled his case and ordering his release by February 20, 2026. 

The case highlights ongoing legal challenges around long‑term immigration supervision and detention practices in the U.S., where courts sometimes intervene when procedural protections are not followed. Egbele’s lawyer and family welcomed the decision while authorities prepare for the next steps in his immigration process.