Professor Johnson, Jessie De Haven ’05 Talk to Bee About Arrests at Immigration Court

Professor Kevin R. Johnson spoke to the Sacramento Bee for a May 27 story about three men reportedly arrested by federal immigration enforcement officials at Sacramento Immigration Court.

The men were arrested after appearing before an immigration judge, attorney and UC Davis Law alumna Jessie De Haven ’05 told The Bee. De Haven, who was at the court to provide free legal advice to immigrants, said she witnessed the arrests.

As the story notes, the detentions followed recent reports about federal authorities taking people into custody at immigration courts across the country amid President Donald Trump’s calls for mass deportations.

Johnson told the Bee that arrests like those in Sacramento create a challenge for immigrants, who might be arrested if they appear at their immigration hearings, but could be subject to a judge’s order of removal if they do not.

“It’s all part of a climate of fear that immigrants are caught up in,” Johnson said.

Kevin R. Johnson is a distinguished professor of law, Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law, and Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law. Johnson also has an appointment as professor of Chicana/o studies at UC Davis. He served as dean of UC Davis Law from 2008 to 2024. Johnson is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of immigration law and policy, refugee law, and civil rights.