Court Denies Pseudonymity for Sex Offender Immigration Detainee Fearing Harm in Syria

On March 9, 2026, Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar of the Central District of California ruled in Alobid v. Marin that an immigration detainee and convicted sex offender could not proceed under a pseudonym. The petitioner, who is pro se, filed a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and sought anonymity, claiming he might face danger if removed to Syria. The court applied Ninth Circuit precedent, noting that the nature of a sex offense conviction alone does not justify pseudonymity, as it would broaden exceptions to the public's right to access judicial proceedings. The judge also found the petitioner's assertion of potential retaliation from Syria to be conclusory and unsupported, failing to meet the burden of proof required for anonymity. The ruling emphasizes the presumption that parties' identities are public information, with pseudonyms reserved for unusual cases involving severe, reasonable, and specific threats.