A federal judge has temporarily barred immigration authorities from detaining a severely disabled man upon his return to the United States after he was deported to Mexico, according to court filings.The court found that the man, who has significant cognitive impairments, appeared to have consented to removal without understanding the process and without his caretakers being notified, according to court documents reviewed by Newsweek.In an order issued Monday, Chief Judge Dolly M. Gee of the United States District Court for the Central District of California said the circumstances surrounding the man’s removal raise serious legal concerns, including whether his constitutional rights were violated.The man, identified in court filings as Doe 2, has severe intellectual disabilities and has lived in the United States since the early 1990s under the care of a conservator, per the documents. "No removal proceedings were, or have been, initiated against Doe 2. Doe 2 has not appeared before an Immigration Judge," the judge, who was appointed by then President Barack Obama in 2010, wrote in court documents.Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment via email....The ruling temporarily prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking him back into custody when he reenters the country.Court Scrutiny of ICE PracticesICE operations have come under the microscope from federal courts amid growing tensions between immigration authorities and the judiciary, with judges in multiple cases pushing back on what they describe as potential denials of due process rights in detention and removal practices tied to the Donald Trump administration's mass deportation policy. The Department of Homeland Security has, in turn, criticized some of these rulings, at times characterizing judges who have slowed or blocked deportations as “activist judges.”Detention and DeportationOn June 17, 2025, Doe 2 was taken by ICE agents in an unmarked vehicle while out on a walk and brought to an immigration office in downtown Los Angeles.On June 20, Doe 2 was transported to a detention facility in Adelanto, according to court documents. Two days later, he met with a lawyer arranged by his family. On June 24, Doe 2 was removed to Mexico under “voluntary departure.” An ICE officer reported that Doe 2 said he wanted to return to Mexico, according to court filings.Court records also say that he was reviewed by medical staff for competency and, despite being a monolingual Spanish speaker, allegedly signed English-language documents indicating consent to removal.He is 50 years old and has an IQ of 47, roughly equivalent to that of a young child, per court filings.He was born in Mexico and has been under a conservatorship since 2007 and lives with support from his family, including his brother, according to court documents.The court questioned whether the man was capable of knowingly agreeing to his removal. "Doe 2’s purported 'consent' to removal is cast in serious doubt by Doe 2’s documented and apparent disabilities and status as a conservatee," court documents read.Upon arrival in Tijuana, Mexico, Doe 2 was taken to a hospital for treatment after experiencing a "mental health crisis" and is now staying with extended family members in the city, according to court documents.Attorneys for the man argued that he did not understand the documents he was presented, which were in English, and that his condition made it unlikely he could meaningfully consent to deportation. The judge noted that these circumstances raise significant due process concerns, particularly given the lack of a hearing or judicial review prior to his removal.The temporary restraining order is expected to remain in place while the case proceeds, with further hearings planned to determine whether longer-term protections should be imposed.