Lizardo's attorney says the government kept fighting to detain him after making a 'huge mistake'
Hassan AhmadAttorney for William Lizardo and founder of the HMA Law Firm, in comments to Newsweek
Hassan Ahmad tells Newsweek that the government knew it had sent the deportation notice to a stale address but kept fighting to keep Lizardo detained even after his immigration case was reopened.
Responding to
William Lizardo's arrest and detention by ICE violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
“What should shock the conscience of every American is that this was a case where the government knew it made a huge mistake, sending a deportation notice to an address it knew was stale, but even after the case was reopened, they persisted in fighting to keep Dr. Lizardo detained”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Judge orders ICE to release a Minnesota dentist arrested at his green card interview; DHS says he overstayed
On November 1, 2026, U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis granted William Lizardo's petition for a writ of habeas corpus and ordered ICE to release him. Lizardo, a 32-year-old dentist from Mississauga, Ontario, who is married to a U.S. citizen, was arrested by two ICE agents on October 23 at the end of an immigration interview in St. Paul, Minnesota, on a removal order entered after he missed a hearing. Davis found that USCIS's own files showed Lizardo no longer lived at the address where the hearing notice and removal order were sent, that his arrest and detention violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, and that no facts or legal argument support keeping him detained after the government admitted the error. A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that a pending application does not confer legal status, that Lizardo chose to overstay, and called Davis a Clinton-appointed activist judge.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Newsweek reports Judge Davis's November 1 order and Lizardo's release that night. It quotes his attorney, Hassan Ahmad (added November 2), and a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson (added November 5).
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Newsweek reports that Lizardo was released at about 9 p.m. on November 1, three hours after the judge's deadline, according to Ahmad.
After the quotation
Ahmad says officials tried to have the habeas petition dismissed without first seeking the court's permission and urged his client to accept voluntary departure to Canada as the quickest way out of detention.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is ICE's arrest and continued detention of William Lizardo. Ahmad says the government knew of its mistake and still fought to keep his client detained, which condemns that detention.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseDHS says Lizardo chose to overstay 'in defiance of our nation's laws'
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
“Between September 2018 and December 2024, Lizardo lawfully entered the country multiple times on a temporary basis. He chose to overstay his welcome in defiance of our nation's laws.”Read statement
Judge Davis calls the government's insistence on detaining Lizardo after admitting USCIS's mistake 'galling'
“The hubris of admitting that USCIS made a big mistake, but not even offering any sort of relief is galling, although not surprising. There is no combination of facts or legal argument that can support this position.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Lizardo's attorney says the government kept fighting to detain him after making a 'huge mistake'". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8455-hassan-ahmad-tells-newsweek-that-the-government-knew