Seven people detained previously by ICE filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the agency, accusing it of illegally refusing to return their personal documents and belongings months after they were released from custody.

Items allegedly withheld include Social Security cards, employment authorization documents, and phones, which the seven individuals allege is a violation of the Fourth Amendment—and ICE’s own confiscation directive, which only permits officers to keep belongings for a clearly defined reason, such as relation to a criminal case.

The ACLU of the District of Columbia, one of the bodies representing the seven plaintiffs, pointed in part to a 2024 federal........

© Mother Jones