NY1: ICE obligado a liberar 5 inmigrantes en riesgo de contraer Covid-19
“En su decisión, la magistrada indicó que como no se aseguran los protocolos de higiene y salud en medio de la pandemia, los inmigrantes son expuestos a un alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente o morir. Lo cual, dijo, equivale a una pena o castigo extremo bajo las normas del debido proceso. La demanda fue presentada…
Amsterdam News: Five medically vulnerable immigrants are released from ICE detention, but thousands still detained during pandemic
“Many attorneys and legal offices continue demanding that all immigrants be released. Releasing people from immigration detention can protect their lives, the lives of staff, and public health. A growing number of courts around the country have ordered the immediate release of medically vulnerable individuals. Courts are recognizing both the enormous risk of harm that…
Hudson County View: Federal judge orders release of 5 ICE detainees, including 2 from Hudson County jail
“U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo described the Bergen and Hudson County jails as “the epicenter of the [corona]virus in New Jersey” in her decision made on Easter Sunday. The ACLU, the Legal Aid Society, and the Bronx Defenders, represented the petitions in this matter. “We are thankful for the court’s clear message: that COVID-19 poses…
Legal Aid, Bronx Defenders, ACLU Win Immediate Release of Five Medically-Vulnerable Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
April 13, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Hanna Johnson, ACLU, HJohnson@aclu.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Legal Aid, Bronx Defenders, ACLU Win Immediate Release of Five Medically-Vulnerable Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic (NEW YORK, NY) –The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, and The…
Law360: ‘No Release’ Injunction In NY Could Be A Blueprint Elsewhere
“A court decision blocking the New York field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using its so-called “no release” policy for certain people detained before a hearing is being hailed by immigrant advocates as a key victory that could set an important standard for other parts of the country. U.S. District Judge Judge…
Truthout: It’s Impossible to “Distance” in ICE Detention. Doctors Say Free All Detainees.
“Experts in immigration law say that this is one of the fundamental misunderstandings people in the U.S. have about ICE detention: Despite the administration’s rhetoric, ICE does not actually have the authority to detain people in the name of public safety. The agency can only detain people for allegedly violating immigration laws. “It’s something that…
City Limits: Her Husband’s in ICE Custody. She Knew Something Was Wrong When He Didn’t Call.
“Many immigration courts have closed. Lawyers are not visiting detainees. And the situation now is like being in a hurricane, when the rain stops the real impact will be known,” said Francisco Collazos, Immigrant Families Together co-founder. Organizations such as Immigrant Families Together are currently working to identify how many detainees may be at greatest…
Law360: ICE Blocked From Enforcing NY Detention Policy
“Law360, New York (March 30, 2020, 9:52 PM EDT) — A New York federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York from carrying out what immigrant advocates claim is a blanket no-release policy for certain detainees accused of civil immigration offenses. During an afternoon teleconference, U.S. District Judge Alvin…
Documented: Early Arrival: Judge Orders Immigrants Released from Detention Due to COVID-19
“A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of 10 immigrants held in county jails in New Jersey due to the coronavirus. All of them were at acute risk due to their underlying health conditions. The petition for the release was filed by the Brooklyn Defender Services. U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres agreed with…
NYCLU and Bronx Defenders Statement on Preliminary Injunction in No-Release Lawsuit
NYCLU and Bronx Defenders Statement on Preliminary Injunction in No-Release Lawsuit Federal Court: ICE Must End Secret “No-Release Policy,” Many People in ICE Detention to be Promptly Evaluated for Release For Immediate Release: March 30, 2020 Media contact: Ben Schaefer, bschaefer@nyclu.org, (212) 607-3372 Ryan Karerat, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org, 917-635-4326 NEW YORK – A federal judge today issued…
Buzzfeed: An ICE Detainee Who Was Released After Getting The Coronavirus Fears What’s Next: “This Has Hit My Whole Body”
“For weeks, immigrant advocates have pushed ICE to release certain immigrants with underlying medical issues from the facilities and to scale back arrests, saying detention facilities were ripe for mass infections and casualties. There are currently more than 38,000 immigrants in ICE custody within private and local jails. So far, the agency has not changed…
Bronx Defenders and Legal Aid Win Immediate Release of 4 Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
March 27, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Legal Aid and Bronx Defenders Win Immediate Release of 4 Immigrants in ICE Detention, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Federal Judge Found “…no evidence that the government took any specific action to prevent the…
NJ.com: Judge frees 10 ICE detainees with health issues to protect them from coronavirus
“In a similar effort, two New York legal groups, The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx Defenders, also filed action recently to free seven ICE detainees in New Jersey and New York jails who are at “imminent risk” of COVID-19 because of their age or underlying health conditions.” Read the full article here
Quartz: Why ICE’s coronavirus response is so dangerous
“These recent events make me think of people like Ousman Darboe, a longtime Bronx, New York resident, husband, and father, currently jailed at Bergen County Jail, whom ICE has kept locked up in civil immigration confinement since 2017. ICE claims he’s a public safety risk, even after governor Andrew Cuomo granted a pardon of his sole criminal conviction,…
LexBlog: NYC Public Defenders Issue Statement Condemning ICE Inaction on Coronavirus Threat at Detention Centers
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal in representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – today released the following statement in response to news of the first ICE detainee testing positive for…
NYIFUP Statement on First Immigrant Detainee Testing Positive For COVID-19 at Bergen County Jail
March 24, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, 203-213-9303, dball@bds.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** NYIFUP Statement on First Immigrant Detainee Testing Positive For COVID-19 at Bergen County Jail NYC Public Defenders Demand ICE Release All Immigrants From Detention (NEW YORK,…
Buzzfeed: An ICE Detainee Has Become The First To Test Positive For The Coronavirus
“On March 6, the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, sent a letter to the Bergen County Jail pushing for more information on how clients with underlying medical issues would be treated and calling for the release of ICE detainees from the facility. The group represents more than two dozen ICE detainees currently at the…
The Appeal: ‘Is My Life Not As Valuable As Yours?’ Immigration Judges Want All Courts Shut Down As Coronavirus Cases Soar
“The Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies are intersecting with a highly contagious disease at a time when New York State leads the nation with at least 20,875 confirmed coronavirus cases. In New York on Friday, Attorney General Letitia James joined Bitta Mostofi, New York City’s commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, in calling for a shutdown of…
Gay City News: Advocates Demand Help for Vulnerable Prisoners, Homeless Folks
“There is also attention on the plight of individuals in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was already tied to poor living conditions before the coronavirus outbreak. The Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society on March 23 filed for a temporary restraining order intended to bring about the release of ICE clients who…
Patch: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic: Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons
“According to the groups – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders – the inmates are rallying against “egregious conditions” and inaction by ICE to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Among reports of egregious conditions, we have heard that ICE is not responding to medical sick calls and that there are…
Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Request Temporary Restraining Order to Immediately Free Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Local Immigration Detention Centers
March 23, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Request Temporary Restraining Order to Immediately Free Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Local Immigration Detention Centers (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx…
Tuscon Sentinel: How federal agencies put immigrants and immigration workers at risk amid coronavirus outbreak
“As USCIS kept most of its offices open Monday, immigrants and their lawyers were left waiting for appointments in often crowded lobbies. While new decisions continued to be issued by the hour, the lack of aggressive action raisedthe prospect that the virus will gain a foothold in detention centers just as public health leaders are…
Vice: 2 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in New Jersey Prison with ICE Detainees
“The news comes amid reports of a growing number of COVID-19 cases inside correctional facilities in the New York City area. At least 38 people on Rikers Island — both inmates and employees — have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. ICE detainees at the Hudson County jail and two other…
Bronx Defenders and Legal Aid Sue for Immediate Release of Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Immigrant Detention
March 20, 2020 CONTACTS: Alejandra Lopez, The Legal Aid Society, 917-294-9348, ailopez@legal-aid.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, 917-635-4326, rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Bronx Defenders and Legal Aid Sue for Immediate Release of Clients at High Risk of COVID-19 from Immigrant Detention (NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society today filed…
Coronel et al v. Decker et al
The Bronx Defenders and The Legal Aid Society today filed a lawsuit in federal court against U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to seek the immediate release of seven individuals in immigrant detention who are at imminent risk of serious illness or death in the event of a COVID-19 infection because of their age or underlying health conditions….