CIVIL-RIGHTS groups have welcomed a US judge’s ruling that detained immigrants must be brought before a judge within 10 days.

US District Judge Alison J Nathan said a law authorising the detention of immigrants while the Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency seeks to deport them “does not negate [immigrants’] interests — of the utmost importance — in freedom from imprisonment.

“Class members may not have a ‘fundamental right to be released during removal proceedings’ but nor does the government have an unfettered right to detain them,” she said.