District Court Stays DHS Policy Denying Biometric Collection for Detained Noncitizens

The Court stayed DHS’s policy not to collect biometrics required for pending USCIS applications for people in ICE detention. The policy was announced in USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-28 in December 2025. (J.Z. v. DHS, 10/7/26)

Class counsel instructs that if DHS refuses to take biometrics for a detained client with a pending USCIS application, attorneys email them at biometrics@democracyforward.org with details including the following:

1. the detention center where the client is being held;
2. the type of USCIS application at issue;
3. your attempts to contact ICE and/or USCIS and the agencies' responses; and
4. whether your client authorized us to share their name and A number with the government.