govinfo:USCOURTS-tnwd-2_26-cv-02697-0

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE 
WESTERN DIVISION 
KEILA FERNANDEZ, 
Petitioner, 
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No. 2:26-cv-02697-SHL-tmp 
v. 
CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK, Acting Director 
of the New Orleans Field Office of ICE, in his 
official capacity, 
Respondent. 
 
ORDER STAYING TRANSFER AND REQUIRING RESPONSE 
 
 
 On June 16, 2026, Petitioner Keila Fernandez filed the Petition for Writ of Habeas 
Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. (ECF No. 1.) Fernandez challenges “her illegal mandatory 
detention at the West Tennessee Detention Facility.” (Id. at PageID 1.) She is a citizen of 
Venezuela who entered the United States in September 2023. (Id. at PageID 3.) She has no 
criminal history of any kind. (Id. at PageID 4.) On February 17, 2026, she was taken into ICE 
custody during a routine ICE office check-in. (Id.) She seeks immediate and unconditional 
release from Respondent’s custody. (Id. at PageID 13.) She emailed the Petition to 
Respondent’s counsel at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee on 
June 16. (Id. at PageID 14.) Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Canale filed his notice of 
appearance the next day. (ECF No. 2.) 
 On May 11, the Sixth Circuit issued the opinion in Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft, 175 F.4th 
713 (6th Cir. 2026), affirming that a noncitizen who has spent “significant time . . . within the 
interior of the United States,” and who has not committed an offense rendering them ineligible 
under § 1226(c), may not be detained without an individualized bond hearing. 175 F.4th at 734. PageID
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Upon review of the Petition, it is ORDERED as follows: 
(1) Within two business days of this Order, Respondent shall respond to the Petition 
in writing. If the basis of Fernandez’s detention is 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) and Respondent 
continues to oppose release, Respondent shall either distinguish this case from Lopez-Campos v. 
Raycraft, 175 F.4th 713 (6th Cir. 2026), or state why Lopez-Campos otherwise does not apply. 
If no such showing is made, Respondent shall state whether he consents to the issuance of the 
writ. 
(2) Fernandez may file a reply after Respondent’s responsive filing. 
(3) Respondent shall not transfer Fernandez out of the West Tennessee Detention 
Facility during the pendency of the Petition. 
 IT IS SO ORDERED, this 17th day of June, 2026. 
 s/ Sheryl H. Lipman 
 SHERYL H. LIPMAN 
 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE PageID
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