Definition: The gut-punch moment when ICE agents ambush immigrants right after a court hearing, especially following a dismissed case or procedural win. Lawyers call it a “motion-to-misery” trap: you exit the courtroom relieved, only to get snatched into expedited removal before reaching the parking lot.
This slang nails the system’s brutal bait-and-switch—legal paperwork masquerading as due process while hiding a deportation dragnet. It’s like winning a coin toss only to discover it’s rigged with handcuffs.
Example:
Her asylum case dismissal turned to dread in the court parking lot during the ICE ambush, snatching relief away instantly.
Winning the motion felt like a rigged coin toss; the motion-to-misery trap sprung with handcuffs before he left the courthouse steps.