Road to Citizenship
Biden v. Texas
The so-called “Migrant Protection Protocols” were a program under the Trump administration that sent asylum seekers back to Mexico to wait for an asylum hearing. The ACLU sued to stop this illegal program, including filing amicus briefs at every level up to the Supreme Court to defend the termination of this cruel and misguided program.
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5 Road to Citizenship Cases
Jan 2021
Samma v. U.S. Department of Defense—Lawsuit Challenging Policy Denying U.S. Military Service Members Expedited Path to Citizenship
In April 2020, the ACLU, ACLU of Southern California, and ACLU of District of Columbia filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of military service members challenging a 2017 Trump administration policy blocking their expedited path to citizenship. In August 2020, a federal district court certified the class and ruled that the policy’s requirement that non-citizens serve a minimum period of time before they can apply for citizenship is unlawful.
Status: Ongoing
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Road to Citizenship
Samma v. U.S. Department of Defense—Lawsuit Challenging Policy Denying U.S. Military Service Members Expedited Path to Citizenship
In April 2020, the ACLU, ACLU of Southern California, and ACLU of District of Columbia filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of military service members challenging a 2017 Trump administration policy blocking their expedited path to citizenship. In August 2020, a federal district court certified the class and ruled that the policy’s requirement that non-citizens serve a minimum period of time before they can apply for citizenship is unlawful.
Jan 2021
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2017
Sessions v. Morales-Santana
Whether the government may constitutionally make it more difficult for citizen fathers than citizen mothers to transmit citizenship to their out-of-wedlock children born outside the U.S.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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U.S. Supreme Court
Road to Citizenship
Sessions v. Morales-Santana
Whether the government may constitutionally make it more difficult for citizen fathers than citizen mothers to transmit citizenship to their out-of-wedlock children born outside the U.S.
Jun 2017
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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Jun 2016
In Re Angelica Villalobos (Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals)
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, and National Immigration Law Center filed a petition for writ of mandamus before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of four people impacted by a recent order issued by a federal district court in Brownsville, Texas, demanding the personal data of tens of thousands of Dreamers. A writ of mandamus, filed June 3, 2016, allows impacted individuals to initiate a new action in the court of appeals to seek redress from a lower court order.
Status: Ongoing
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Road to Citizenship
In Re Angelica Villalobos (Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals)
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, and National Immigration Law Center filed a petition for writ of mandamus before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of four people impacted by a recent order issued by a federal district court in Brownsville, Texas, demanding the personal data of tens of thousands of Dreamers. A writ of mandamus, filed June 3, 2016, allows impacted individuals to initiate a new action in the court of appeals to seek redress from a lower court order.
Jun 2016
Status: Ongoing
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Arizona
Apr 2016
Arizona Dream Act Coalition, et al v. Brewer
The American Civil Liberties Union, along with a coalition of civil rights organizations, filed a class-action lawsuit challenging Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s unconstitutional executive order, which denies driver’s licenses to a specific class of immigrant youth despite their being authorized to live and work in the United States.
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Arizona
Road to Citizenship
Arizona Dream Act Coalition, et al v. Brewer
The American Civil Liberties Union, along with a coalition of civil rights organizations, filed a class-action lawsuit challenging Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s unconstitutional executive order, which denies driver’s licenses to a specific class of immigrant youth despite their being authorized to live and work in the United States.
Apr 2016
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