Immigrant Detention: The Human and Economic Costs

BOSTON — A group of legal services organizations today filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s new policy of hiding the locations of thousands of people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The policy unlawfully interferes with communication between detainees, their families, and their lawyers. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of Greater Boston Legal Services, Rian Immigrant Center, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, and Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. The groups argue the new policy unlawfully blocks them from locating, communicating with, and providing legal services to their clients and potential clients. For over 16 years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has made the location of detained noncitizens available via its Online Detainee Locator System. In September, DHS abruptly changed course and stopped sharing the location of detained people with final orders of removal, either via the locator service or in direct response to queries from family members or attorneys. This policy of mass disappearance has thrown thousands into an administrative black box without any justification. The new policy facilitates the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign by making it more difficult to provide detainees with access to attorneys and the judicial system — and thus more difficult to challenge unlawful detention and pursue lawful pathways to remain in the United States. Noncitizens with final orders of removal may still pursue a number of legal remedies to challenge their detention and deportation — but if they cannot access legal counsel or the courts, they may never have a chance to seek these remedies before they are deported. The lawsuit alleges that ICE’s implementation of this new policy is arbitrary and capricious, and thus a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. The complaint also alleges that ICE’s policy violates the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights. Finally, the complaint alleges violations of the Freedom of Information Act because the government failed to publish details of their new policy. The plaintiffs are asking the court to vacate the new policy, and will shortly file a motion to stay the new policy while their case proceeds. The plaintiffs are represented by the National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and Annelise Araujo Law. The following are statements from the plaintiffs and their legal counsel: Attorneys representing the plaintiffs: “The Trump administration’s new policy of mass disappearance should send a chill through everybody’s spine. By choosing to hide even the most basic information about thousands of people in its custody, the government is unlawfully blocking their access to legal counsel and the courts, and keeping desperate loved ones in the dark. This shockingly malicious policy was implemented suddenly, without any legal basis or justification, and with immediate, devastating impacts for our clients and the people they serve. The government must reverse course immediately, restore the Online Detainee Locator System, and stop hiding people in its vast network of detention facilities.” Jacquelynne J. Bowman, executive director of Greater Boston Legal Services: “No one should be denied a meaningful opportunity to defend their rights because the government has made it impossible for their lawyer to find them. Even with representation, navigating the legal system is complex for immigrants facing deportation. This arbitrary new administrative change leaves hundreds of thousands of people at risk of potentially life-altering consequences without essential legal help.” Jackie Kelley, director of immigration legal services at the Rian Immigrant Center: “We cannot allow the United States government to indefinitely disappear human beings. If we cannot locate our clients, we cannot pursue the relief for which they are legally eligible. The law gives our clients the right to seek protection. This policy obstructs that right when our clients need it most.” Laura St. John, legal director at the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project: “The Trump administration is disappearing people within the immigration detention system. This should terrify every single one of us. Thousands of people are no longer being shown on the online detainee locator system, making it impossible for attorneys to locate their clients or identify people who might need emergency legal assistance. How can people in detention possibly have access to due process and safety if there is no way for their families or advocates to know where they are being held?” Aimee Mayer-Salins, deputy program director of legal coordination at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights: “When someone you love is in ICE custody, they shouldn’t simply disappear into a black hole. Families deserve to know where their loved ones are being held, and this lawsuit is about protecting that basic right.” For more information about Greater Boston Legal Services et al. v. Mullin, visit: https://www.aclu.org/cases/greater-boston-legal-services-et-al-v-mullin  

“Wilder Raids,” the ACLU’s latest short documentary features the harrowing stories of families caught in a violent immigration raid at a horse race in Wilder, Idaho last year.

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union premiered Wilder Raids, an original short film telling the story of two families whose lives were upended by a violent immigration raid at a horse-racing event in Wilder, Idaho, one year ago today. The film follows the families as they reckon with the lasting trauma of the raid and details the ongoing lawsuit brought by the ACLU, ACLU of Idaho, Cooley LLP, and Stoel Rives LLP seeking accountability. One year ago today, more than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers descended on an otherwise peaceful family event at a horse-racing track in Wilder, Idaho. Law enforcement arrived in armored trucks and a helicopter with flashbang grenades and guns drawn and detained approximately 400 spectators – including U.S. citizens and children – for four hours in inhumane conditions before subjecting everyone to suspicionless immigration interrogations. Through interviews with the families and an inside look at the ongoing legal fight, Wilder Raids explores the lasting impact of the raid on those who experienced it and the broader Wilder community. Juana Rodriguez, one of the lead plaintiffs and featured storyteller in the film, is a U.S. citizen who was at the event with her 3-year-old son. After being violently rounded up with hundreds of other families, Rodriguez was placed in zip ties and detained for several hours without food or water. Law enforcement instructed her toddler to hold onto her pocket while Rodriguez remained zip tied and unable to comfort her son. “I was like, why? I have my son with me. I have to take care of him. I was scared. If I overreacted, I felt like they were going to hurt me,” Rodriguez said. “For the longest time, my son begged me for food. He begged me for water … I wish I could have done more in the moment, but I couldn’t. I think that’s what really gets to me till this day.” The families featured in the film filed a lawsuit last February that argues that federal, state, and local law enforcement used criminal warrants as a pretext for a sweeping immigration dragnet at an event where they knew attendees would be predominantly Latino. The complaint further alleges that the agencies conspired to deprive those detained of their Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and their right to equal protection regardless of ethnicity. The lawsuit invokes federal civil rights laws enacted after the Civil War to protect people from racialized government violence and provides a potential avenue for holding federal actors accountable for constitutional violations. “Defendants continue to characterize what happened in Wilder as an ordinary warrant execution, but there was nothing routine about the terror they inflicted on hundreds of people trying to spend a Sunday with their families,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director on policing at the ACLU. “This film makes it impossible to ignore what our clients and their families experienced that day and puts a human face on the reckless violence and cruelty inflicted on the community. One year later, we will not let the government rewrite what happened in Wilder and we will continue fighting to hold those responsible accountable.” “The violent raid in Wilder has had significant ripple effects across many communities in Idaho, which can still be felt today, a year later,” said Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho. “The film reminds us of how critical it is for every American to rise to the challenge of protecting civil liberties. It also highlights how personal and fragile our rights can be if left unprotected from government action. Families cannot simply shake off and ignore the abuse; it is our collective responsibility to seek justice, take action, and make things whole.” The lawsuit is ongoing as the families await a decision on the defendants’ motions to dismiss. On Sept. 8, 2026, plaintiffs filed an opposition brief urging the federal court to allow the lawsuit to proceed. Additional statements from co-counsel are below. Jade Ford, an attorney at Cooley LLP: “This film sends a clear message: the Wilder community will not stand idly by in the face of constitutional violations. Every person in this country is entitled to freedom from unlawful seizure and freedom from discriminatory targeting. Those are not hollow promises—they are vital constitutional guarantees, and the Wilder community intends to see them enforced.” Wendy Olsen, an attorney at Stoel Rives LLP: “All Idaho families should be able to enjoy community and cultural events without fear that their rights will be violated, that their children will be traumatized or that they will be targeted based on their perceived color or national origin. This film bravely tells that story on behalf of the Wilder community.”