The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday defended its policy of having Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrest people at their immigration court hearings after a class-action lawsuit was filed that seeks to stop the practice.

U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio ordered immediate release of a 24-year-old transgender woman from ICE detention, finding her arrest unlawful.

A diverse group of volunteers from faith leaders to grandmothers to retired lawyers have been escorting people to immigration courts across the country. They provide moral support and bear witness