By Nate Raymond BOSTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. immigration judge has told her colleagues that they are not bound by a federal court ruling that declared the Trump administration cannot place thousands of people in mandatory detention without an opportunity to be released on bond.

A federal judge ruled that the academics, who are party to a lawsuit alleging U.S. policy singles out noncitizens for detention or deportation over their pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses,

A U.S. judge has ruled federal officers in a Minneapolis-area immigration operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents.

Immigration Matters is a recurring series by César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández that analyzes the court’s immigration docket, highlighting emerging legal questions about new policy and enforcement practices.

He ruled last year that the government had targeted pro-Palestinian activists.

A second SUNY Upstate Medical University worker arrested by federal immigration agents last fall has been ordered to be deported to Ecuador. Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo is from Cuba and has no ties to Ecuador.

Whistleblower Aid called the new policy a "complete break from the law" and said it undercuts the "Fourth Amendment and the rights it protects."

A federal judge ruled Thursday that university association members may seek relief from the court if their immigration status is changed as retribution for challenging an alleged Trump administration policy to single out campus activists critical of Israel’s war in Gaza for immigration enforcement.

The plaintiffs must release information regarding detainees' arrests and detainments, video footage from inside the building, compliance with a judge-issued temporary restraining order and how the facility retains documents,