Seth Tidwell, an immigration attorney at Revis Associates, uses habeas corpus petitions to challenge unlawful detention. He describes a case where a woman detained for over two decades in the U.S. was held without bond eligibility until a federal court granted her petition, restoring her right to an individualized hearing and family reunification.
Hi, my name is Seth Tidwell, and I'm an associate attorney on the advanced litigation team at Revis Associates. Our firm's mission is empowering immigrants and helping families build secure futures in the United States. My work focuses on complex federal immigration litigation, especially cases involving individuals who are being held in immigration detention. A large part of what I do involves filing habeas corpus petitions when someone is detained unlawfully or denied access to basic due process. Immigration detention law evolves quickly, and sometimes people remain in custody simply because the government applies the wrong legal framework. Recently, I handled a case involving a woman who had lived in the United States for over 2 decades, but was placed in mandatory detention without any opportunity to request bond. She was treated as though she had just arrived at the border, despite having deep family ties and longstanding roots in her community. We filed a federal habeas petition arguing that she was being detained under the wrong statutory authority and was entitled to an individualized bond process. The federal court agreed and granted the petition. That decision restored her access to due process and brought her one step closer to reunification with her family. Cases like this matter because immigration detention affects real people and real families. Being able to step into federal court and protect someone's liberty is one of the most meaningful parts of my work. At Rivas Associates, we are committed to empowering immigrants, safeguarding due process, and helping families build stable futures.
