Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 1 of 8 1 THE HONORABLE RICHARD A. JONES 2 3 4 5 6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE 7 8 9 ABDIQAFAR WAGAFE, et al., on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, 10 11 12 v. DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States; et al., 13 Defendants. No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR LEAVE TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS EX PARTE, IN CAMERA NOTED ON MOTION CALENDAR: APRIL 27, 2018 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ) 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 2 of 8 1 I. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Defendants’ motion for leave to submit the declarations of FBI Executive Assistant Director Carl Ghattas and USCIS Associate Director Matthew D. Emrich ex parte and in camera is without merit. First, Defendants have waived any right to assert new privileges at this juncture, well after they failed to comply with the Court’s discovery orders and the parties’ agreed production timelines. In response to Plaintiffs’ motion for sanctions, Defendants now attempt to distract from the core issue of their discovery misconduct by belatedly seeking to submit declarations in support of their privilege assertions. This is not only procedurally improper but appears to be another tactic to delay discovery further. Second, even if Defendants are permitted to litigate anew the merits of their privilege assertions, they fail to meet the high burden to justify ex parte, in camera review of the declarations. Defendants’ motion should be denied. II. 14 15 INTRODUCTION A. ARGUMENT Defendants May Not Avoid Sanctions by Re-Litigating the Underlying Privilege Issue. 16 Seemingly in an effort to avoid sanctions for failing to comply with the Court’s orders, 17 Defendants improperly seek to re-litigate the merits of the orders that they violated. The Court 18 should not consider materials ex parte and in camera where doing so would allow Defendants to 19 circumvent the Court’s prior orders. 20 From the outset, the Court has rejected Defendants’ attempts to withhold information 21 about why the named Plaintiffs were subjected to CARRP. Plaintiffs moved to compel 22 production of this information, challenging Defendants’ unsupported assertion that it was 23 privileged. In October 2017, the Court ordered Defendants to produce these documents. Dkt. 98 24 at 4. Defendants should have—and have cited no reason why they could not have—addressed 25 the merits of their privilege claims in response to Plaintiffs’ motion to compel. Instead, 26 Defendants violated the Court’s order by producing heavily redacted A-Files and, only when PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–1 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 3 of 8 1 confronted with the prospect of sanctions for that and other violations, now ask to explain the 2 merits of their privilege assertions ex parte and in camera. This is too little, too late. See Dkt. 3 150 at 4 (explaining why Defendants have waived their right to support their privilege 4 assertions). In their motion for leave to submit documents ex parte and in camera, Defendants 5 claim that “[t]he Court’s consideration of these declarations is necessary to the Court’s full 6 understanding of Defendants’ response to Plaintiffs’ sanctions motion.” Dkt. 147 at 1. Yet 7 Defendants’ supplemental brief offers no explanation for how or why these declarations should 8 inform the Court’s decision on sanctions.1 Defendants’ request for ex parte, in camera review is 9 procedurally barred. 10 11 B. Defendants Have Not Met the High Burden to Justify Ex Parte, In Camera Review. Even if Defendants’ request were procedurally proper, Defendants have not met their 12 burden for justifying ex parte, in camera review. “[C]ourts routinely express their disfavor with 13 ex parte proceedings and permit such proceedings only in the rarest of circumstances.” United 14 States v. Libby, 429 F. Supp. 2d 18, 21 (D.D.C.), opinion amended on reconsideration, 429 F. 15 Supp. 2d 46 (D.D.C. 2006); see also Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Comm. v. McGrath, 341 U.S. 16 123, 170 (1951) (Frankfurter, J., concurring) (observing that “fairness can rarely be obtained by 17 secret, one-sided determination of facts decisive of rights” and holding use of ex parte evidence 18 unauthorized by statute in employment context, even given national security concerns). 19 Exceptions to the general rule against ex parte, in camera submissions “are both few and tightly 20 contained.” Abourezk v. Reagan, 785 F.2d 1043, 1061 (D.C. Cir. 1986). The court in Abourezk 21 identified three narrow exceptions to the presumption against ex parte, in camera proceedings: 22 (1) review of the redacted or withheld documents to assess the claim of privilege, (2) in the face 23 24 25 26 1 Further, aside from boilerplate language regarding Department of Justice regulations related to the handling of classified material, Defendants fail to explain, as requested by the Court at the April 12, 2018 hearing, what the ex parte, in camera process would entail and how this motion relates to Defendants’ individual claims of privilege. Tr. 27:11-16. PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–2 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 4 of 8 1 of a proper invocation of the state secrets privilege, and (3) when a statute expressly provides for 2 such proceedings. Id. Defendants’ request does not fall within any of these three exceptions. 3 First, Defendants do not seek to submit withheld documents for adjudication of the scope 4 of their asserted privilege. Although the “inspection of materials by a judge isolated in chambers 5 may occur when a party seeks to prevent use of the materials in the litigation,” this exception is 6 intended to facilitate the judge’s review of the actual materials the party seeks to protect from 7 disclosure. See Abourezk, 785 F.2d at 1061; Arieff v. U.S. Dep’t of Navy, 712 F.2d 1462, 1469 8 (D.C. Cir. 1983) (distinguishing between the submission of documents and the submission of 9 affidavits, and observing that the latter constitutes “a greater distortion of normal judicial 10 process, since it combines the element of secrecy with the element of one-sided, ex 11 parte presentation”).2 Indeed, “[w]hile a court may review documents in camera to assess the 12 scope of a privilege, the court may not rely on an ex parte and in camera review of documents to 13 resolve an issue on the merits.” See Apple Inc. v. Samsung Elecs. Co., No. 11-CV-01846-LHK, 14 2015 WL 3863249, at *10 (N.D. Cal. June 19, 2015). 15 Here, Defendants do not ask the Court to review the withheld A-File documents and 16 decide whether they are in fact privileged. Instead, they seek to submit two declarations that 17 apparently contain Defendants’ explanation as to why these documents purportedly implicate 18 national security concerns—information that Defendants should have provided in their privilege 19 logs to enable Plaintiffs to challenge the privilege assertions. Moreover, Defendants claim these 20 declarations are relevant not simply to an assessment of the scope of the privileges, but also to 21 the Court’s adjudication of the merits of Plaintiffs’ motion for sanctions. Dkt. 147 at 1. But the 22 Court should not resolve the merits of Plaintiffs’ motion for sanctions using information that 23 Plaintiffs cannot see and thus to which they can offer no reply. See United States v. Abuhamra, 24 2 25 26 Defendants’ citation to cases that exclusively discuss the ex parte, in camera review of underlying documents is thus unavailing. See, e.g., In re City of New York, 607 F.3d 923, 948–49 (2d Cir. 2010) (“[R]ather than require that the parties file the potentially privileged documents with the court, the district court may, in the exercise of its informed discretion and on the basis of the circumstances presented, require that the party possessing the documents appear ex parte in chambers to submit the documents for in camera review by the judge.”). PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–3 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 5 of 8 1 389 F.3d 309, 322 (2d Cir. 2004) (rejecting attempt to rely on secret evidence and holding that 2 “due process demands that the individual and the government each be afforded the opportunity 3 not only to advance their respective positions but to correct or contradict arguments or evidence 4 offered by the other”) (emphasis added). 5 Additionally, Defendants fail to support their contention that the rationale for the 6 privilege is itself privileged. They have not endeavored to explain why “release of the 7 declaration[s] would disclose the very information that the agency seeks to protect,” see 8 Greyshock v. U.S. Coast Guard, 107 F.3d 16, 1997 WL 51514, *3 (9th Cir. Feb. 6, 1997), nor 9 have they attempted to justify ex parte submission in general terms without compromising the 10 information they seek to protect, see United States v. Thompson, 827 F.2d 1254, 1259 (9th Cir. 11 1987). 12 Second, courts have reviewed materials ex parte and in camera when the government has 13 properly invoked the state secrets privilege, demonstrated “compelling national security 14 concerns,” and disclosed, “prior to any in camera examination, . . . as much of the material as it 15 could divulge without compromising the privilege.” Abourezk, 785 F.2d at 1061. But 16 Defendants have not invoked the state secrets privilege, and the cases they cite that involved ex 17 parte, in camera procedures when the state secrets privilege had properly been invoked are 18 therefore inapposite. See, e.g., Kasza v. Browner, 133 F.3d 1159, 1169 (9th Cir. 1998) (“in 19 camera review of both classified declarations was an appropriate means to resolve the 20 applicability and scope of the state secrets privilege”). Nor have Defendants made any effort to 21 create a public record of their withholding, accompanied by “a detailed public justification” and 22 “an index which correlates the asserted justifications with the contents of the withheld 23 document.” Phillippi v. Cent. Intelligence Agency, 546 F.2d 1009, 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1976). To 24 the contrary, the publicly filed FBI declaration states only that Defendants “assert[] the law 25 enforcement and deliberative process privileges over FBI information contained in the A-files 26 and any other USCIS records” on the Named Plaintiffs, and notes that “more detail” will be PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–4 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 6 of 8 1 provided in the ex parte, in camera declaration. Dkt. 146-4, ¶ 5 (Ghattas Declaration). Thus, 2 even if Defendants had invoked the state secrets privilege, ex parte, in camera review would not 3 be proper on this record. 4 Finally, Defendants identify no statute that expressly permits the use of ex parte, in 5 camera procedures here. See Abourezk, 785 F.2d at 1061; see, e.g., 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(B) 6 (providing for in camera inspection in FOIA cases); 18 U.S.C. App. 3 § 4 (ex parte, in camera 7 review available under the Classified Information Procedures Act). Accordingly, this exception 8 does not apply, and the various cases Defendants cite that allowed ex parte, in camera review 9 pursuant to statute are irrelevant.3 10 Ultimately, that the Court “has the authority” to review materials ex parte and in camera, 11 Dkt. 154 at 2—and that other courts have considered such materials under specific 12 circumstances—says little about whether review of Defendants’ proffered materials ex parte and 13 in camera is warranted here. Considered under the proper standard, Defendants’ request fails. 14 III. CONCLUSION 15 Because Defendants’ request for ex parte, in camera review is procedurally improper, 16 and Defendants have not demonstrated that ex parte, in camera review of either declaration is 17 warranted, Defendants’ motion should be denied. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 3 For instance, Defendants cite ACLU v. Department of Defense, No. 09-cv-8071, 2012 WL 13075286 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 24, 2012), but neglect to note that the court in that case expressly grounded its ruling vis-à-vis ex parte submission “in the FOIA context.” Id. at *1; see also United States v. Ott, 827 F.2d 473, 476 (9th Cir. 1987) (concerning “section 1806(f)’s requirement that the district court conduct an ex parte, in camera review of FISA materials upon request of the Attorney General”); United States v. Klimavicius–Viloria, 144 F.3d 1249, 1261 (9th Cir. 1998) (use of procedures under CIPA). PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–5 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 7 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 By: s/Jennifer Pasquarella (admitted pro hac vice) s/Sameer Ahmed (admitted pro hac vice) ACLU Foundation of Southern California 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles, CA 90017 Telephone: (213) 977-5236 Facsimile: (213) 997-5297 jpasquarella@aclusocal.org sahmed@aclusocal.org 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 s/Matt Adams s/Glenda M. Aldana Madrid Matt Adams #28287 Glenda M. Aldana Madrid #46987 Northwest Immigrant Rights Project 615 Second Ave., Ste. 400 Seattle, WA 98122 Telephone: (206) 957-8611 Facsimile: (206) 587-4025 matt@nwirp.org glenda@nwirp.org s/Stacy Tolchin (admitted pro hac vice) Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin 634 S. Spring St. Suite 500A Los Angeles, CA 90014 Telephone: (213) 622-7450 Facsimile: (213) 622-7233 Stacy@tolchinimmigration.com s/Trina Realmuto (admitted pro hac vice) s/Kristin Macleod-Ball (admitted pro hac vice) Trina Realmuto Kristin Macleod-Ball American Immigration Council 100 Summer St., 23rd Fl. Boston, MA 02110 Tel: (857) 305-3600 Email: trealmuto@immcouncil.org Email: kmacleod-ball@immcouncil.org s/Hugh Handeyside Hugh Handeyside #39792 s/Lee Gelernt (admitted pro hac vice) s/Hina Shamsi (admitted pro hac vice) American Civil Liberties Union Foundation 125 Broad Street New York, NY 10004 Telephone: (212) 549-2616 Facsimile: (212) 549-2654 lgelernt@aclu.org hhandeyside@aclu.org hshamsi@aclu.org s/Emily Chiang Emily Chiang #50517 ACLU of Washington Foundation 901 Fifth Avenue, Suite 630 Seattle, WA 98164 Telephone: (206) 624-2184 Echiang@aclu-wa.org 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 s/ Harry H. Schneider, Jr. Harry H. Schneider, Jr. #9404 s/ Nicholas P. Gellert Nicholas P. Gellert #18041 s/ David A. Perez David A. Perez #43959 s/ Laura K. Hennessey Laura K. Hennessey #47447 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Telephone: 206.359.8000 Facsimile: 206.359.9000 Email: HSchneider@perkinscoie.com NGellert@perkinscoie.com DPerez@perkinscoie.com LHennessey@perkinscoie.com Attorneys for Plaintiffs PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–6 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163 Filed 04/25/18 Page 8 of 8 1 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 2 The undersigned certifies that on the dated indicated below, I caused service of the 3 foregoing PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF IN 4 SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR LEAVE TO SUBMIT EX PARTE, IN 5 CAMERA via the CM/ECF system that will automatically send notice of such filing to all 6 counsel of record herein. 7 DATED this 25th day of April, 2018 at Seattle, Washington. 8 By: s/ Laura K. Hennessey Laura K. Hennessey #47447 Attorney for Plaintiffs Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Telephone: 206.359.8000 Facsimile: 206.359.9000 Email: LHennessey@perkinscoie.com 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ)–1 139581553.1 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163-1 Filed 04/25/18 Page 1 of 4 1 THE HONORABLE RICHARD A. JONES 2 3 4 5 6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 7 8 ABDIQAFAR WAGAFE, et al., on behalf of 9 themselves and others similarly situated, 10 11 Plaintiffs, v. 12 DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States, et al., 13 Defendants. 14 No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ [PROPOSED] ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR LEAVE TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS EX PARTE, IN CAMERA NOTED ON MOTION CALENDAR: APRIL 27, 2018 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Perkins Coie LLP 139541908.2 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163-1 Filed 04/25/18 Page 2 of 4 1 THE COURT, having considered Defendants’ Motion for Leave to Submit Documents 2 Ex Parte, In Camera (Dkt. #147), the supplemental briefing submitted by the parties in support 3 of and in opposition to the motion, and the files and pleadings in this case, hereby ORDERS that 4 Defendants’ motion is DENIED. 5 DATED this ___________ day of ______________________, 2018. 6 7 HONORABLE RICHARD A. JONES UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 8 9 . 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 [PROPOSED] ORDER DENYING DEFS’ MOT. TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS EX PARTE, IN CAMERA (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ) – 1 139541908.2 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163-1 Filed 04/25/18 Page 3 of 4 1 DATED: April 25, 2018 2 Presented by: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 s/Jennifer Pasquarella (admitted pro hac vice) s/Sameer Ahmed (admitted pro hac vice) ACLU Foundation of Southern California 1313 West 8th Street Los Angeles, CA 90017 Telephone: (213) 977-5236 Facsimile: (213) 997-5297 Email: jpasquarella@aclusocal.org sahmed@aclusocal.org s/Matt Adams s/Glenda M. Aldana Madrid Matt Adams #28287 Glenda M. Aldana Madrid #46987 Northwest Immigrant Rights Project 615 Second Avenue, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98104 Telephone: (206) 957-8611 Facsimile: (206) 587-4025 Email: matt@nwirp.org glenda@nwirp.org s/Trina Realmuto (admitted pro hac vice) s/Kristin Macleod-Ball (admitted pro hac vice) Trina Realmuto Kristin Macleod-Ball American Immigration Council 100 Summer St., 23rd Fl. Boston, MA 02110 Tel: (857) 305-3600 Email: trealmuto@immcouncil.org kmacleod-ball@immcouncil.org s/Hugh Handeyside Hugh Handeyside #39792 s/Lee Gelernt (admitted pro hac vice) s/Hina Shamsi (admitted pro hac vice) American Civil Liberties Union Foundation 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 Telephone: (212) 549-2616 Facsimile: (212) 549-2654 Email: lgelernt@aclu.org hhandeyside@aclu.org hshamsi@aclu.org s/Emily Chiang Emily Chiang #50517 ACLU of Washington Foundation 901 Fifth Avenue, Suite 630 Seattle, WA 98164 Telephone: (206) 624-2184 Email: Echiang@aclu-wa.org 19 21 22 23 24 25 Attorneys for Plaintiffs Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Telephone: 206.359.8000 Facsimile: 206.359.9000 Email: HSchneider@perkinscoie.com NGellert@perkinscoie.com DPerez@perkinscoie.com LHennessey@perkinscoie.com s/Stacy Tolchin (admitted pro hac vice) Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin 634 S. Spring Street Suite 500A Los Angeles, CA 90014 Telephone: (213) 622-7450 Facsimile: (213) 622-7233 Email: Stacy@tolchinimmigration.com 18 20 s/ Harry H. Schneider, Jr. Harry H. Schneider, Jr. #9404 s/ Nicholas P. Gellert Nicholas P. Gellert #18041 s/ David A. Perez David A. Perez #43959 s/ Laura K. Hennessey Laura K. Hennessey #47447 26 [PROPOSED] ORDER DENYING DEFS’ MOT. TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS EX PARTE, IN CAMERA (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ) – 2 139541908.2 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000 Case 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ Document 163-1 Filed 04/25/18 Page 4 of 4 1 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 2 The undersigned certifies that on the dated indicated below, I caused service of the 3 foregoing [PROPOSED] ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR LEAVE TO 4 SUBMIT EX PARTE, IN CAMERA via the CM/ECF system that will automatically send notice 5 of such filing to all counsel of record herein. 6 DATED this 25th day of April, 2018 at Seattle, Washington. 7 By: s/ Laura K. Hennessey Laura K. Hennessey #47447 Attorney for Plaintiffs Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Telephone: 206.359.8000 Facsimile: 206.359.9000 Email: LHennessey@perkinscoie.com 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE (No. 2:17-cv-00094-RAJ) – 1 139541908.2 Perkins Coie LLP 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900 Seattle, WA 98101-3099 Phone: 206.359.8000 Fax: 206.359.9000