Home : Immigrants' Rights : Detention

Civil Rights Groups Sue Immigration Officials for Unlawfully Detaining Six-Year-Old U.S. Citizen (04/26/2007)
SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the ACLU of Northern California, and the law firm of Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a U.S. citizen child who was unlawfully detained for ten hours by immigration officials.

Court Says ACLU Likely to Prevail on Claims Regarding Immigrant Children Detained at Hutto Facility in Texas (04/10/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - In a ruling issued late Monday, a Texas federal court found that the American Civil Liberties Union is “highly likely to prevail” at trial on its claims that the detention of immigrant children at the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor, Texas is an abuse of discretion by federal officials and violates applicable legal standards.

ACLU Challenges Illegal Detention of Immigrant Children Held in Prison-Like Conditions (03/06/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed lawsuits on behalf of ten immigrant children, challenging their illegal detention at the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor, Texas.

ACLU of Massachusetts Blasts Governor’s Plan to Use State Police as Federal Immigration Agents (06/22/2006)
BOSTON -- A plan by Governor Mitt Romney to use state police as federal immigration agents will undermine public safety by diverting scarce police resources away from real crime fighting and deterring residents from reporting crimes, while increasing the risk of illegal racial and ethnic profiling, said lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts.

As Senate Immigration Bill Stalls, ACLU Calls for Much-Needed Fixes, Says Lawmakers Must Act to Protect Due Process and Privacy (04/07/2006)
WASHINGTON - As legislation to reform the nation’s immigration laws stalled in the Senate today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to modify that legislation to better protect privacy, judicial review and due process rights.

Senate Immigration Bill Lacks Privacy and Due Process Protections, ACLU Says; Lawmakers Must Fix Shortcomings in Proposed Legislation (03/02/2006)
WASHINGTON - As the Senate Judiciary Committee met today to begin consideration of legislation concerning immigration, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to make changes to the underlying bill to better protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons in the country, citizens and non-citizens alike. Last year, the House passed a border security and immigration reform bill that greatly undermines the freedoms of all Americans.

ACLU Urges House To Reject "Border Security" Bill, Warns of Unintended Consequences For America’s Workers (12/16/2005)
WASHINGTON - With a vote looming on an ill-considered and short-sighted immigration bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose legislation that would have a detrimental impact on Americans’ ability to work and would also undermine due process in the immigration system.

ACLU Opposes Faulty "Border Security" Bill, Proposal Would Require Workers to Get Government "Permission Slip" (12/15/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose a border security bill that fails to properly address the issue of illegal immigration, undermines due process and creates a federally mandated "permission slip" for all Americans. This sweeping legislation has not been thoroughly examined by Congress, and yet could be considered as early as today.

U.S.: Scores of Muslim Men Jailed Without Charge (06/27/2005)
NEW YORK -- Operating behind a wall of secrecy, the U.S. Department of Justice thrust scores of Muslim men living in the United States into a Kafkaesque world of indefinite detention without charge and baseless accusations of terrorist links, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a report released today.

United Nations Set to Adopt Ruling Criticizing Arbitrary Security Detentions of Immigrants by the United States (03/22/2005)
NEW YORK- In a stern rebuke to U. S. immigration detention policies, a panel of experts at the United Nations ruled that the government is violating universal human rights standards by continuing to detain an Algerian immigrant, Benamar Benatta, who was taken into custody on September 12, 2001, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights is expected to adopt the opinion during its 61st session, which opens this month.

ACLU Sues Federal Agents for Illegal Arrest and Detention of Iraqi Refugee (03/17/2005)
GREAT FALLS, MT--The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, and the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project today sued two federal agents for unlawfully stopping, interrogating, arresting, imprisoning, and seeking to deport an Iraqi refugee who was legally admitted to the United States and had broken no laws. As a result of his illegal detention, the man lost his job and suffered serious humiliation and emotional distress.

High Court Affirms That Government Cannot Indefinitely Detain Mariel Cubans (01/12/2005)
NEW YORK - The Supreme Court today ruled 7-2 that the government violated the law by indefinitely detaining ""Mariel"" Cubans who cannot be deported because Cuba will not allow their return.

In First Week, House Renews Anti-Immigrant Push; Extreme Measures Rejected During Intelligence Reform Debate (01/07/2005)
WASHINGTON - With the new Congress barely a week old, three major anti-immigration bills are already in play. The American Civil Liberties Union called many of the bills extreme and noted that most were rejected as harsh and unnecessary during debate over intelligence reform legislation passed at the end of last year.

New ACLU Report Documents Devastating Effects of Post-9/11 Deportations on Immigrant Communities and Families (12/08/2004)
NEW YORK-At a roundtable discussion today with more than 20 human rights advocates and Muslim community members, the American Civil Liberties Union released a new report documenting the devastating effects that the Bush administration's ""anti-terrorism"" policies have had on immigrant families and communities.

Court Orders Feds to End Stonewalling and Immediately Process ACLU Request for Torture Records (08/18/2004)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and New York Civil Liberties Union today won a significant victory in their 10-month struggle to obtain records on the abuse of prisoners held by the United States at detention facilities overseas. In a stinging rebuke, a federal judge ordered the administration to begin honoring an ACLU request under the Freedom of Information Act, saying that the government had dragged its feet for far too long.

ACLU Argues For Expedited Release of Government Documents on Torture of Detainees (08/12/2004)
NEW YORK -The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court today to order the government to release records relating to the treatment of prisoners held by the United States at Abu Ghraib and other detention facilities overseas.

ACLU to Provide Legal Help to Muslims and Arabs Caught Up in New Round of FBI Questioning (08/05/2004)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it is working with attorneys around the country to offer free legal representation to anyone who is approached by the FBI during its latest round of "dragnet" interviews of Arabs and Muslims.

ACLU Warns of Resurrecting 'Voluntary' Interview Program; Arab and Muslim Communities Should Not be Targets of Racial Profiling (06/22/2004)
WASHINGTON -- Saying that previous attempts by federal law enforcement officials to conduct 'voluntary' interviews of Arab and Muslim immigrants proved ineffective, the American Civil Liberties Union today called upon the FBI to give careful consideration before engaging in similar efforts.

ACLU Urges Caution Against Piecemeal Expansion of Patriot Act; Calls for Stringent Oversight of Existing Powers (06/22/2004)
WASHINGTON -- Despite bipartisan concern about how the Justice Department is using existing anti-terrorism powers, a Senate committee today considered legislation that would further compromise freedom.

ACLU Washington Director Asks Democratic Committee To Include Strong Stand for Civil Liberties in Party Platform (06/19/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Democratic Party Platform Committee to include strong language in its 2004 platform to protect and promote civil liberties.