Las Vegas judge orders release of two immigration detainees in rebuke to feds

U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware in Las Vegas ordered the release of two immigration detainees, issuing a sharp rebuke to federal authorities for failing to satisfy legal requirements. In the first case, Boulware addressed the detention of Giovanni Henriquez-Osorio, a native of El Salvador who had been held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump. Henriquez-Osorio, who was living in Provo, Utah at the time of his apprehension, faced removal to his home country despite expressing fear of torture and persecution if deported. An immigration judge had previously determined in July 2025 that he posed a danger to the community, but Boulware ruled in March that Henriquez-Osorio must either be released or afforded a bond hearing in which the government would bear the burden of proving he was a flight risk or a threat. Federal officials contested the entitlement to a bond hearing, arguing that Boulware had adopted an “atextual” reading of the law. Henriquez-Osorio later received a bond hearing, yet an immigration judge again concluded he was dangerous, citing DUI and domestic‑violence convictions, outstanding warrants, a failure to appear in court, and a probation revocation. Boulware found that the immigration judge and the Department of Homeland Security had not adequately explained the government’s burden, misstated the legal standard, and misconstrued the underlying facts. He noted that Utah court records showed Henriquez