U.S. resisting deadline for bond hearings for Iraqis

Detroit — The U.S. Justice Department is asking for more time to comply with an order that would likely lead to the release of hundreds of Iraqi nationals who are under deportation orders.

In a court filing Wednesday, the government says it can’t schedule bond hearings by Feb. 2 without delaying hearings for others who are not part of the case. It wants 30 more days to comply with a decision by Detroit federal Judge Mark Goldsmith.

Goldsmith has blocked the deportation of 1,400 Iraqi nationals with criminal records so they can challenge their removal. Nearly 300 are jailed or in U.S. detention centers in about two dozen states.

The judge says anyone who has been held for six months should be released on bond unless they’re a public safety risk.