United States District Court for the Southern District of California, 2026

Ksenia RUMIANTSEVA v. WARDEN OF OTAY MESA DETENTION CENTER

Ksenia RUMIANTSEVA v. WARDEN OF OTAY MESA DETENTION CENTER
United States District Court for the Southern District of California · Decided January 2, 2026
Ksenia RUMIANTSEVA v. WARDEN OF OTAY MESA DETENTION CENTER

Trial Court Opinion

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA Ksenia RUMIANTSEVA, Case No.: 25-cv-3844-AGS-DEB 4 Petitioner, ORDER REQUIRING RESPONSE v. WARDEN OF OTAY MESA DETENTION CENTER, 8 Respondent.

10 Petitioner Ksenia Rumiantseva seeks a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 to free her from immigration detention. (See ECF 1.)

12 At this stage, she need only make out a claim that is sufficiently cognizable to warrant a response. See Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the United States District Courts, Rule 4 (authorizing summary dismissal “if it plainly appears from the petition and any attached exhibits that the petitioner is not entitled to relief”); id., Rule 1(b) (permitting application of Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases to any “habeas corpus petition”). In this context, the relevant federal rules permit “summary dismissal of claims that are clearly not cognizable.” Neiss v. Bludworth, 114 F.4th 1038, 1045 (9th Cir. 2024) (cleaned up).

19 But “as long as a petition has any potential merit, it is not so frivolous or incredible as to justify summary dismissal[.]” Id. 21 On “June 18, 2025,” petitioner was ordered removed to Russia. (ECF 1, at 6, 13.)

22 She “appealed,” and her appeal remains pending. (Id. at 6.) She claims that she has been “detained since September 22, 2024.” (Id.) She asserts that she has been denied “an individualized custody review to which she is entitled under ICE policy,” although she identifies no such policy. (Id.) That denial, and her continued custody, she argues violates her due process rights, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act.

28 Although thin on critical details—including how she came to be in immigration |} custody in the first place, which is necessary to determine what statutory detention scheme ||she’s subject to—petitioner’s claims are not frivolous. After all, some courts have || concluded that prolonged detention can violate due process, even for arriving aliens subject ||to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b). See, e.g., Kydyrali v. Wolf, 499 F. Supp. 5 768, 772 (S.D. Cal. 2020) (“[T]he Court joins the majority of courts across the country ||in concluding that an unreasonably prolonged detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) without 7 individualized bond hearing violates due process.”). Thus, the government must || respond.

9 By January 16, 2026, respondents must answer the petition. Any reply by petitioner || must be filed by January 23, 2026. The Court will hold oral arguments on the petition on || January 30, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

12 Dated: January 2, 2026 14 Hon. rew G. Schopler United States District Judge

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.