# ICE Sued Over Document Retention

> Seven detained individuals sue ICE for withholding work permits and property after release.
- Title: ICE Sued Over Document Retention · Mother Jones | Shortify
- Summary: Seven detained individuals sue ICE for withholding work permits and property after release. Seven people detained by ICE sued for ICE refusing to return…
- Keywords: ice, asylum, social security, employment authorization, fourth amendment, confiscation directive, federal appeals court, minneapolis immigration attorney, work authorization documents, personal property, Sued, Document
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/ice-dhs-aclu-lawsuit-work-papers-property-confiscated
- Author: Alex Nguyen
- Published: 2026-10-13T18:51:29+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ice, asylum, social security, employment authorization, fourth amendment, confiscation directive, federal appeals court, minneapolis immigration attorney, work authorization documents, personal property
## Seven detained individuals sue ICE
Seven people detained previously by ice filed a lawsuit against the agency for illegally refusing to return their personal documents and belongings after release.
## Items withheld include work permits
Items allegedly withheld include social security cards, employment authorization documents, and phones, violating the fourth amendment and ice’s own confiscation directive.
## Plaintiff loses job due to documents
One plaintiff from russia with a pending asylum case stated he was unable to get meaningful employment without his work authorization documents and has lost his job.

> Now, i’m struggling to provide for my family because ice still has my documents that show i am authorized to work
## ICE practice of document retention
The lawsuit follows reports that ice throws people’s documents into a black box and loses them, preventing immigrants from keeping jobs and fearing home departure.
## Key takeaway

Seven people detained by ICE sued for ICE refusing to return their work authorization documents and personal items after release.