UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Ansly DAMUS, Geauga County Safety Center, 12450
Merritt Road, Chardon, OH 44024; N.J.J.R., Essex County
Correctional Facility, 354 Doremus Ave., Newark, NJ 07105;
Abelardo Asensio CALLOL, York County Prison, 3400
Concord Rd., York, PA 17402; Alexi Ismael Montes
CASTRO, York County Prison, 3400 Concord Rd., York, PA
17402; H.A.Y., El Paso Processing Center, 8915 Montana
Ave., El Paso, TX 79925; A.M.M., Otero County Processing
Center, 26 McGregor Range Road, Chaparral, NM 88081;
L.H.A., El Paso Processing Center, 8915 Montana Ave., El
Paso, TX 79925; E.E.C.S., James A. Musick Facility, 13502
Musick Road, Irvine, CA 92618; and L.I.L.M., James A.
Musick Facility, 13502 Musick Road, Irvine, CA 92618, on
behalf of themselves and others similarly situated,
Plaintiffs,
v.
Kirstjen NIELSEN, Secretary of the Dep’t of Homeland
Security, in her official capacity, Washington, DC 20528;
Thomas HOMAN, Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, in his official capacity, 500 12th
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20536; Rebecca ADDUCCI,
Director of the ICE Detroit Field Office, in her official
capacity, c/o Office of the General Counsel, Department of
Homeland Security, Mail Stop 3650, Washington, DC 20528;
William JOYCE, Acting Director of the ICE El Paso Field
Office, in his official capacity, c/o Office of the General
Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, Mail Stop 3650,
Washington, DC 20528; David MARIN, Director of the ICE
Los Angeles Field Office, in his official capacity, c/o Office
of the General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security,
Mail Stop 3650, Washington, DC 20528; John TSOUKARIS,
Director of the ICE Newark Field Office, in his official
capacity, c/o Office of the General Counsel, Department of
Homeland Security, Mail Stop 3650, Washington, DC 20528;
Greg BRAWLEY, Director of the ICE Philadelphia Field
Office, in his official capacity, c/o Office of the General
Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, Mail Stop 3650,
Washington, DC 20528; Jefferson B. SESSIONS, III, U.S.
Attorney General, in his official capacity, 950 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20530; James MCHENRY,
Director of the Exec. Office for Immigration Review, 5107
Leesburg Pike, Suite 2600, Falls Church, VA 22041,
Defendants.

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Civil Action No. _________
Class Complaint for Injunctive
and Declaratory Relief

 CLASS COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF
INTRODUCTION
1.

Plaintiffs bring this class action to enjoin a Department of Homeland

Security (“DHS”) policy and practice of categorically detaining asylum seekers in order
to deter others from seeking refuge in the United States.
2.

Plaintiffs are all asylum seekers who traveled to the United States, were

found to have a credible fear of persecution, and were referred for immigration
proceedings to decide their asylum claims. All of them have sponsors in the United
States who are prepared to provide them with housing and ensure they attend their court
hearings, and none of them have criminal records or history of violence. Yet DHS has
imprisoned them during the pendency of their asylum cases, with no individualized
review of whether their detention is necessary.
3.

In R.I.L-R. v. Johnson, 80 F. Supp. 3d 164 (D.D.C. 2015), this Court

preliminarily enjoined a DHS policy of detaining families seeking asylum that was
designed to “send[] a message of deterrence” to other migrants. Id. at 188-89. Applying
established Supreme Court precedent, the Court held in its preliminary-injunction ruling
that immigration detention could not lawfully be founded on general deterrence—which
may inform criminal, but not civil, detention. The Court, moreover, found that the
government’s conclusory incantations of “national security” could not support a
deterrence-based detention policy. Id. at 189-90.
4.

Notwithstanding R.I.L-R., DHS has now unlawfully embarked on an even

broader policy of detaining asylum seekers on deterrence grounds at five U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Field Offices across the country (the

2

 “Deterrence Policy”). With the approval of ICE Headquarters, and in violation of a
longstanding DHS directive precluding detention of asylum seekers except in unusual
cases (“Parole Directive”), these five Field Offices have detained virtually all adults who
request asylum at a port of entry to the United States. The five Field Offices have
detained these asylum seekers based not on individualized determinations that they pose a
flight risk or a danger to the community, but rather to deter other migrants from seeking
refuge here.
5.

Detaining asylum seekers to deter others, without even considering

whether individuals are flight risks or dangers to the community, violates the Parole
Directive (which generally bars the detention of asylum seekers who pose neither a flight
risk nor a danger to the community), the Immigration and Naturalization Act (“INA”),
regulations promulgated thereunder, and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth
Amendment. Indeed, even if DHS’s current parole policy were not based on deterrence,
it would be unlawful for DHS to engage in virtually blanket detention of asylum seekers
without individualized determinations of flight risk or danger to the community. The fact
that the Policy is based on general deterrence—which cannot be a basis for civil
detention—makes it even clearer that the Policy is unlawful. See R.I.L-R., 80 F. Supp. at
189.
6.

Ensuring that asylum seekers have access to a meaningful parole process

has become even more critical in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Jennings
v. Rodriguez, 138 S. Ct. 830 (2018). The Court in Jennings held that parole is the only
exception to detention under the INA for asylum seekers who presented themselves at
ports of entry to the United States, and that this “express exception to detention implies

3

 that there are no other circumstances under which [such] aliens . . . may be released.” Id.
at 844 (emphasis omitted). The Deterrence Policy, however, effectively and unlawfully
eliminates this opportunity for release at the five ICE Field Offices, leaving asylum
seekers within these Field Offices with no meaningful way to avoid detention during the
pendency of their asylum cases.
7.

ICE data suggests that, as a result of the Deterrence Policy, more than a

thousand individuals in the last year have been unlawfully deprived of their liberty for
nothing more than seeking refuge in a nation that has provided it to countless others since
its founding. Each additional day of detention exacerbates the grave risk to the mental
and physical health of these individuals. Absent intervention by this Court, thousands
more asylum seekers will suffer the same fate. The Court should enjoin the Deterrence
Policy and require Defendants to provide Plaintiffs and other proposed class members
with individualized determinations of flight risk and danger to the community before
subjecting them to detention.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
8.

This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331

(federal question); 28 U.S.C. § 1361 (mandamus); and 28 U.S.C. § 1651 (All Writs Act).
Defendants have waived sovereign immunity pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 702.
9.

Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(e) because

multiple defendants reside in this District, and a substantial part of the events or
omissions giving rise to this action occurred in this District.

4

 PARTIES
10.

Plaintiffs are asylum seekers who presented themselves to immigration

authorities at a U.S. port of entry, were found to have a credible fear of persecution or
torture in their home countries, and have been referred for proceedings inside the United
States to decide their asylum claims. They are all detained pursuant to the Deterrence
Policy.
11.

Ansly Damus, a former ethics teacher, is seeking asylum in the United

States after fleeing political persecution—including beating and death threats—in his
home country, Haiti. Fearing for his life, Mr. Damus came to the United States in
October 2016. An asylum officer found that he had a credible fear of persecution and
referred him for removal proceedings. Although an immigration judge has granted him
asylum—twice—the government appealed both determinations, and Mr. Damus has
remained in detention pending the government’s repeated appeals. In late January 2017
and February 2018, the Detroit ICE Field Office denied Mr. Damus’ requests for release
on parole pursuant to the Deterrence Policy, even though he established his identity,
identified a sponsor with whom he could live, and showed that he poses no flight risk or
danger to the community. As a result, Mr. Damus has been detained in ICE custody for
the last 16 months—with no end in sight. Mr. Damus is currently detained at the Geauga
County Safety Center in Chardon, Ohio.
12.

N.J.J.R. is seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing beating and

threats from armed groups that seek to eliminate opposition to the Venezuelan
government. Fearing for his life, N.J.J.R. presented himself to immigration officers in
October 2017. An asylum officer found that N.J.J.R. had a credible fear of persecution

5

 and referred him for removal proceedings. The Newark ICE Field Office denied
N.J.J.R’s requests for release on parole pursuant to its Deterrence Policy, even though he
has established his identity, identified a sponsor with whom he could live, and shown he
poses no flight risk or danger to the community. N.J.J.R. has been detained for over four
months. He is currently detained at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark,
New Jersey.
13.

Abelardo Asensio Callol is seeking asylum in the United States after

fleeing persecution at the hands of the Cuban government due to his refusal to be a part
of the Cuban Communist Party and attend a rally held in memory of Fidel Castro.
Fearing for his life, Mr. Callol presented himself to immigration officers in December
2017. An asylum officer found that Mr. Callol had a credible fear of persecution and
referred him for removal proceedings. ICE denied Mr. Callol parole without ever
interviewing him on his eligibility for parole. Mr. Callol submitted several requests to
ICE asking how to submit additional documentation that would establish his identity and
demonstrate that he is not a flight risk and that he has sponsors with whom he can live.
ICE has not responded to any of his requests. Mr. Callol has been detained for over three
months. Currently he is detained at the York County Prison in York, Pennsylvania.
14.

Alexi Ismael Montes Castro is seeking asylum in the United States after

fleeing harassment, assault, and threats at gunpoint in Honduras because he is gay.
Fearing for his life, Mr. Montes Castro presented himself to immigration officers and
sought asylum in November 2017. An asylum officer found that Mr. Montes Castro had
a credible fear of persecution and referred him for removal proceedings. Mr. Montes
Castro was not even aware that he could request release on parole until he received a

6

 boilerplate letter from ICE in January 2018, denying him parole pursuant to the
Deterrence Policy. ICE never interviewed him to determine his eligibility for parole.
ICE denied Mr. Montes Castro parole even though he provided the government with his
birth certificate and explained that he had a relative in Virginia willing to provide him
housing and support in the course of requesting asylum. Mr. Montes Castro has been
detained for about four months. Currently he is detained at the York County Prison in
York, Pennsylvania.
15.

H.A.Y. and A.M.M. are a wife and husband seeking asylum in the United

States after fleeing a criminal cartel in Mexico that sought to take control of their home,
cattle, and farm. Fearing for their lives, the couple came to the United States in
December 2017. Asylum officers found that they each had a credible fear of persecution
and referred them both for removal proceedings. In February 2018, the El Paso ICE
Field Office denied both H.A.Y.’s and A.M.M.’s requests for parole pursuant to the
Deterrence Policy, even though they had established their identities, identified a sponsor
with whom they could live, and shown that they pose no flight risk or danger to the
community. H.A.Y. and A.M.M. have been detained for over two months. H.A.Y. is
currently detained at the El Paso Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. A.M.M. was
separated from his wife and is currently detained at the Otero County Processing Center
in Chaparral, New Mexico.
16.

L.H.A. is seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing a dangerous

gang in El Salvador, which attempted to recruit and extort money from him, and
threatened to kill him and his family. Fearing for his life, L.H.A. came to the United
States in May 2016. An asylum officer found that L.H.A. had a credible fear of

7

 persecution and referred him for removal proceedings. On June 14, 2017, L.H.A. applied
for parole, but the El Paso ICE Field Office denied L.H.A.’s request for parole pursuant
to the Deterrence Policy, even though he had established his identity, identified a sponsor
with whom he could live, and shown he poses no flight risk or danger to the community.
L.H.A. has been detained for more than twenty-one months. He is currently detained at
the El Paso Processing Center in Texas.
17.

E.E.C.S. is seeking asylum in the United States after the dangerous MS-13

gang in El Salvador beat him and threatened to kill him, and Salvadoran police targeted
him. Fearing for his life, E.E.C.S. presented himself to U.S. immigration officers in
December 2017. An asylum officer found that E.E.C.S. had a credible fear of
persecution and referred him for removal proceedings. The Los Angeles ICE Field
Office denied E.E.C.S.’s request for parole pursuant to the Deterrence Policy, even
though he has established his identity, identified a sponsor with whom he could live, and
shown that he poses no flight risk or danger to the community. E.E.C.S. has been
detained for over three months. E.E.C.S. is currently detained at the James A. Musick
detention facility in Irvine, California.
18.

L.I.L.M. is seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing a dangerous

criminal cartel in Mexico. Fearing for his life, L.I.L.M. presented himself to U.S.
immigration officers in October 2017. An asylum officer found that L.I.L.M. had a
credible fear of persecution and referred him for removal proceedings. L.I.L.M.
submitted two requests for parole, submitting evidence of his identity and letters of
support from a family member who can serve as his sponsor. The Los Angeles ICE Field
Office orally denied both his parole requests without providing him any explanation or

8

 written decision. L.I.L.M. has been detained for over four months. L.I.L.M. is currently
detained at the James A. Musick detention facility in Irvine, California.
19.

Defendant Kirstjen Nielsen is sued in her official capacity as the Secretary

of Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). In this capacity, she directs each of the
component agencies within DHS, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(“ICE”). Defendant Nielsen is responsible for the administration of immigration laws
and policies pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1103, including those laws and policies regarding the
detention of arriving asylum seekers.
20.

Defendant Thomas D. Homan is sued in his official capacity as the Deputy

Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director of ICE, the sub-agency
that operates the government’s immigration detention system. In this capacity,
Defendant Homan directs the administration of ICE’s detention policies and operations,
including those policies and operations regarding the detention of arriving asylum
seekers.
21.

Defendant Rebecca Adducci is sued in her official capacity as Director of

the Detroit ICE Field Office. In this capacity, Defendant Adducci is responsible for ICE
detention policies and operations in the Detroit District, which covers detention facilities
in Michigan and Ohio, including those policies and operations regarding the detention of
arriving asylum seekers.
22.

Defendant William P. Joyce is sued in his official capacity as Acting

Director of the El Paso ICE Field Office. In this capacity, Defendant Joyce is responsible
for ICE detention policies and operations in the El Paso District, which covers detention

9

 facilities in New Mexico and West Texas, including those policies and operations
regarding the detention of arriving asylum seekers.
23.

Defendant David Marin is sued in his official capacity as Director of the

Los Angeles ICE Field Office. In this capacity, Defendant Marin is responsible for ICE
detention policies and operations in the Los Angeles District, which covers detention
facilities in the Los Angeles area, including those policies and operations regarding the
detention of arriving asylum seekers.
24.

Defendant John Tsoukaris is sued in his official capacity as Director of the

Newark ICE Field Office. In this capacity, Defendant Tsoukaris is responsible for ICE
detention policies and operations in the Newark District, which covers detention facilities
in the New Jersey area, including those policies and operations regarding the detention of
arriving asylum seekers.
25.

Defendant Greg Brawley is sued in his official capacity as Director of the

Philadelphia ICE Field Office. In this capacity, Defendant Brawley is responsible for
ICE detention policies and operations in the Philadelphia District, which covers detention
facilities in Pennsylvania, including those policies and operations regarding the detention
of arriving asylum seekers.
26.

Defendant Jefferson Sessions is the Attorney General of the United States

and the most senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”). He has the
authority to interpret the immigration laws and adjudicate custody hearings for detained
immigrants. The Attorney General delegates this responsibility to the Executive Office
for Immigration Review (“EOIR”), which administers the immigration courts and the
Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). He is named in his official capacity.

10

 27.

Defendant James McHenry is the Director of EOIR, the agency within

DOJ responsible for the immigration courts and the BIA. He is named in his official
capacity.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
A.

Legal Framework Governing Parole of Asylum Seekers.

28.

Under the INA, a person who is subjected to expedited removal who

requests asylum at a port of entry to the United States must first demonstrate a credible
fear of persecution in his or her home country during an interview with an immigration
officer—meaning there is a “significant possibility” that the individual is eligible for
asylum. 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1)(B)(v). If an individual establishes a credible fear of
persecution, he or she is then entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge to
adjudicate the asylum claim. See id. § 1225(b)(1)(B)(ii); 8 C.F.R. § 208.30(f).
29.

There typically is an interval of several months between an asylum

seeker’s credible-fear interview with an immigration officer and a decision on his or her
asylum claim by an immigration judge. During that period, DHS must determine
whether the individual should be detained or released pending resolution of the asylum
claim. That resolution can take more than a year or even several years if it involves
appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) or a federal court of appeals.
30.

Pursuant to the INA and implementing regulations, asylum seekers who

do not pose a flight risk or a danger to the community may be paroled by DHS during the
pendency of their immigration cases on a “case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian
reasons or significant public benefit.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(A), 8 C.F.R. § 212.5(b); see
also 8 C.F.R. § 235.3(c).

11

 31.

DHS issued the Parole Directive in 2009. 1 The Parole Directive defines

the circumstances under which there is a “significant public benefit” to granting parole
pursuant to the INA and implementing regulations. The Parole Directive provides that,
absent exceptional overriding factors, an asylum seeker who has established a credible
fear of persecution should be granted parole in the “public interest” and released from
detention while pursuing his or her asylum claims if the individual (a) establishes his or
her identity to the satisfaction of DHS; and (b) presents neither a flight risk nor danger to
the community. Parole Directive ¶ 6.2.
32.

DHS’s policy, reflected in the Parole Directive, against the detention of

asylum seekers who have credible claims to asylum ensures that the government adheres
to constitutional prohibitions against arbitrary detention. Asylum seekers, including
those detained at ports of entry into the United States, are “persons” who may not be
deprived of liberty without due process of law under the Due Process Clause.
Accordingly, the Due Process Clause, as well as the INA and its implementing
regulations, preclude DHS from subjecting a bona fide asylum seeker to long-term civil
immigration detention absent an individualized determination that the individual poses a
flight risk or is a danger to the community.
33.

Until recently, DHS relied on the Parole Directive to grant parole to

thousands of asylum seekers with a credible fear, based on individualized findings that
their detention was unnecessary. This is not surprising: the overwhelming majority of
asylum seekers who establish a credible fear lack any criminal history, pose no threat to

1

ICE Directive 11002.1, Parole of Arriving Aliens Found to Have a Credible Fear of
Persecution or Torture (Dec. 8, 2009), https://www.ice.gov/doclib/dro/pdf/11002.1-hdparole_of_arriving_aliens_found_credible_fear.pdf.
12

 public safety, and do not need to be detained to ensure their appearance for court
proceedings. 2
34.

DHS has not revoked or amended the Parole Directive. Indeed, in

February 2017, then-DHS Secretary John Kelly stated that the Parole Directive
“remain[s] in full force and effect” pending the DHS Secretary’s “further review and
evaluation.” 3 DHS has not withdrawn or amended the Parole Directive since that time.
35.

The government also represented to the Supreme Court of the United

States last year that the Parole Directive remains “in ‘full force and effect.’” 4 The
government emphasized that the Parole Directive generally requires DHS “to release the
alien if he establishes his identity [and] demonstrates that he is not a flight risk or
danger,” and requires an individualized analysis that “calls for far more than checking a
box on a form.” 5
36.

So long as the Parole Directive remains in effect, it is binding on ICE, and

its provisions must be applied to asylum seekers who establish a credible fear of
persecution. See Abdi v. Duke, 280 F. Supp. 3d 373, 2017 WL 5599521, at *28

2

See, e.g., Mark Noferi, A Humane Approach Can Work: The Effectiveness of
Alternatives to Detention for Asylum Seekers, at 1, 3 (July 2015),
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/a_humane_appr
oach_can_work_the_effectiveness_of_alternatives_to_detention_for_asylum_seekers.pdf
(summarizing research showing that asylum seekers are predisposed to comply with legal
processes).
3
See Memorandum from John Kelly, Implementing the President’s Border Security and
Immigration Enforcement Improvements Policies, at 9-10 (Feb. 20, 2017) (“Kelly
Memorandum”),
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/17_0220_S1_Implementing-thePresidents-Border-Security-Immigration-Enforcement-Improvement-Policies.pdf.
4
Pet. Suppl. Reply Br., Jennings v. Rodriguez, No. 15-1204, at 6 n.2 (U.S. filed Feb. 21,
2017) (quoting the Kelly Memorandum at 10).
5
Id. at 6-7 (internal quotations and citation omitted).
13

 (W.D.N.Y. Nov. 17, 2017), injunction clarified, 2018 WL 798747 (W.D.N.Y. Feb. 9,
2018), appeal pending, No. 18-94 (2d Cir. filed Jan. 12, 2018).
B.

The Unlawful Detention of Virtually All Asylum Seekers at Five ICE
Field Offices.

37.

DHS has, since the Trump Administration took office last year,

implemented a de facto policy of denying parole in virtually all cases at its Detroit, El
Paso, Los Angeles, Newark, and Philadelphia Field Offices (“the ICE Field Offices”).
Altogether, these ICE Field Offices detain approximately 24 percent of ICE’s total
average daily detention population.
38.

ICE data suggests that the ICE Field Offices likely denied at least 1,000

requests for parole by arriving asylum seekers during 2017. Between February and
September 2017, 6 the ICE Field Offices denied parole at the following rates: Detroit
officers denied 63 of 64 parole requests, or 98 percent of cases; El Paso officers denied
349 of 349 parole requests, or 100 percent of cases; Los Angeles officers denied 326 of
354 parole requests, or 92 percent of cases; Newark officers denied 10 of 10 parole
requests, or 100 percent of cases; and Philadelphia officers denied 43 of 43 cases, or 100
percent of cases.
39.

This is a dramatic change from ICE’s past practice pursuant to the Parole

Directive. Between 2011 and 2013, the ICE Field Offices paroled 92 percent of arriving
asylum seekers pursuant to the Directive. More recently, the parole rate began to fall,
dropping to less than 4 percent on average across the ICE Field Offices during the period
from February through September 2017.

6

September 2017 data is the the most recent data available to Plaintiffs.
14

 40.

Since the Trump Administration came into office, officers in the ICE Field

Offices repeatedly have told detainees and their attorneys that parole will no longer be
granted.
41.

The ICE Field Offices are no longer following the requirements of the

Parole Directive. Asylum seekers routinely are not notified of the availability of parole,
in violation of the Parole Directive. See Parole Directive, §§ 6.1, 8.1 (requiring DHS
officers to provide asylum seeker with parole advisal “[a]s soon as practicable following
a credible fear determination”). When notification is provided, the ICE officer does not
“explain the contents of the notification to the [asylum seeker] in a language he or she
understands,” also in violation of the Parole Directive. Id. § 8.1. Some asylum seekers
are denied parole even before they are notified of their ability to seek it, again in violation
of the Parole Directive. Others are not given interviews before their parole requests are
denied, likewise in violation of the Parole Directive. See id. § 8.2 (requiring parole
interview generally “no later than seven days” after asylum seeker passes credible fear
screening). Indeed, sometimes the ICE Field Offices simply do not respond to asylum
seekers’ parole requests at all.
42.

Even where the ICE Field Offices ostensibly consider parole requests,

they no longer provide individualized determinations of flight risk and danger, in
violation of the Parole Directive. See id. § 6.2. Instead, the ICE Field Offices issue
denials that give no indication that the evidence in support of the parole request has been
considered. The denials typically come in the form of very short form letters that contain
boilerplate language and/or checkboxes indicating that the asylum seeker poses a “flight
risk” or has not sufficiently demonstrated her identity. These form denials provide no

15

 explanation of why the asylum seeker has been denied parole or any indication that the
request was given any individualized consideration at all, again in violation of the Parole
Directive. See id. § 8.2 (“The letter must include a brief explanation of the reasons for
denying parole.”). The form denials also typically come in English, including for asylum
seekers who do not understand English—another violation of the Parole Directive. See
id. The denials also often do not inform the asylum seeker of her right to seek
redetermination of the denial, which is yet another violation. See id.
43.

As a result, many asylum seekers who clearly satisfy the Parole

Directive’s criteria for release are denied parole. The ICE Field Offices grant release
only in extremely narrow circumstances—such as medical emergencies or a shortage in
detention bed space. The result is that numerous individuals for whom detention serves
no permissible purpose are being deprived of their liberty—for months or even years—as
they wait for their asylum claims to be adjudicated.
44.

Officials at ICE Headquarters are fully aware of and have permitted the

ICE Field Offices to implement this policy. The Parole Directive specifically requires
ICE Headquarters to analyze periodic reporting on parole decisions and take corrective
action as needed. See Parole Directive ¶¶ 8.11, 8.12. Although ICE Headquarters has
been aware of detention practices across the ICE Field Offices for more than a year, it has
taken no action to require the ICE Field Offices to follow the Parole Directive.
45.

Another federal court recently held that ICE officers at ICE’s Buffalo,

New York Field Office violated the Parole Directive through their blanket detention of
asylum seekers. In November 2017, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of
New York found that the government had engaged in a class-wide practice of issuing

16

 “blanket denials” to parole requests that failed to analyze each case “‘on its own merits
and based on the facts of the individual alien’s case,’” in violation of the Parole
Directive. Abdi, 2017 WL 5599521, at *23. The court granted a preliminary injunction
requiring, among other things, that the Buffalo ICE Field Office “immediately
adjudicate” the parole requests of a class of detained asylum seekers “in conformance
with [its] legal obligations, including [its] obligations under the [Parole] Directive.” Id.
at *28.
C.

The Deterrence Motive Behind the Virtually Blanket Detention at the
ICE Field Offices.

46.

DHS’s de facto policy of denying parole in virtually all cases at the ICE

Field Offices, without individualized determinations of flight risk or danger to the
community, would be unlawful regardless of the motive behind that policy. But here,
that illegality is exacerbated by the policy’s unlawful motive. The Deterrence Policy is
plainly motivated by the Trump Administration’s goal of deterring other asylum seekers
from seeking refuge in the United States. As this Court found in its preliminary
injunction ruling in R.I.L-R., deterrence of others—which is a function of criminal law—
is not a permissible basis for civil immigration detention. See R.I.L-R., 80 F. Supp. 3d at
189-90.
47.

The Trump Administration’s own words establish that the Deterrence

Policy is indeed deterrence-based. Executive Order No. 13767, Border Security and
Immigration Enforcement Improvements, 82 Fed. Reg. 8793 (Jan. 30, 2017), makes
detention central to the Administration’s efforts to deter what it considers unauthorized
migration. The Order makes it the policy of the Executive Branch to “detain individuals
apprehended on suspicion of violating . . . Federal immigration law, pending further

17

 proceedings regarding those violations.” Id. at 8793. This new detention policy aims, in
part, “to secure the Nation’s southern border” and “prevent further illegal immigration
into the United States.” Id. at 8793.
48.

On February 20, 2017, then-DHS Secretary John Kelly issued the Kelly

Memorandum, which implemented the Executive Order through “new policies designed
to stem illegal immigration and facilitate the . . . . detention and removal of aliens who
have no lawful basis to enter or remain in the United States.” 7 The Kelly Memorandum
did not rescind the Parole Directive, and, indeed, stated that the Directive “remain[s] in
full force and effect” pending the DHS Secretary’s “further review and evaluation.” 8
Nonetheless, the Kelly Memorandum articulated that DHS would broadly detain migrants
as a means of deterring other migrants from coming to the United States. This in turn has
resulted in Defendants violating the Parole Directive at the ICE Field Offices by
effectuating the Deterrence Policy.
49.

With respect to detention, the Kelly Memorandum states that “[t]he

President has determined that the lawful detention of aliens arriving in the United States
. . . pending a final determination of whether to order them removed, including
determining eligibility for immigration relief, is the most efficient means by which to
enforce the immigration laws at our borders.” 9 To that end, “[p]olicies that facilitate the
release of removable aliens apprehended at and between the ports of entry . . .
collectively referred to as ‘catch-and-release,’ shall end.” 10

7

Kelly Memorandum at 1.
Id. at 9-10.
9
Id. at 2.
10
Id.
8

18

 50.

An earlier draft of the Kelly Memorandum states the Administration’s

deterrence goals in even clearer terms. The draft expressly states that DHS’s new
enforcement policies—including its expanded use of detention to end “catch-andrelease”—were “designed to deter illegal immigration,” and that “[t]he President has
determined that the lawful detention of arriving aliens pending a determination of their
inadmissibility and eligibility for immigration relief has a significant deterrent effect on
illegal immigration.” 11 The final version of the memorandum merely replaces “deter
illegal immigration” with “stem illegal immigration,” and “significant deterrent effect”
with “most efficient means by which to enforce the immigration laws.” Despite these
cosmetic revisions, which were presumably made to create the appearance that the memo
does not violate R.I.L-R. and the authorities on which it is based, the purpose of DHS’s
new detention policies remains clear: the deterrence of migration to the United States.
51.

Since the Kelly Memorandum was issued, the Trump Administration has

continued to emphasize its goal of deterring migration through detention. A recent White
House Framework on Immigration Reform & Border Security provides that “[t]he
Department of Homeland Security must have tools to deter illegal immigration.”
Specifically, the Administration pledges to “[d]eter illegal entry” by ending “catch-andrelease and by closing legal loopholes that have eroded our ability to secure the
immigration system and protect public safety.” 12

11

Memorandum from John Kelly, Implementing the President’s Border Security and
Immigration Enforcement Improvements Policies, at 1 (Jan. 25, 2017) (draft) (emphases
added), http://www.aila.org/infonet/leaked-dhs-memo-on-implementation-of-presidents.
12
White House Framework on Immigration Reform & Border Security (Jan. 25, 2018),
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/white-house-framework-immigrationreform-border-security/.
19

 52.

The ICE Field Offices’ detention practices for asylum seekers directly

reflect the Trump Administration’s commitment to arbitrary detention as a strategy of
immigration enforcement and deterrence.
53.

Notwithstanding the Trump Administration’s deterrence goals, detaining

current asylum seekers will not deter future asylum seekers. Individuals who flee
violence and persecution and come to the United States in fear of their lives and safety
will not be deterred by the threat of detention. 13
D.

The Deterrence Policy Causes Plaintiffs and Proposed Class Members
Irreparable Harm.

54.

Defendants’ categorical detention of Plaintiffs and those similarly situated,

without any individualized review of flight risk and danger to the community, has caused
Plaintiffs and those similarly situated irreparable harm.
55.

Detention facilities for asylum seekers are punitive and abusive. 14 ICE

uses secure facilities to detain asylum seekers, including jails designed to hold
individuals charged with or convicted of crimes. Asylum seekers detained in secure
facilities are often subjected to physical and verbal abuse at the hands of security
personnel. Medical and mental healthcare at ICE detention facilities is typically
inadequate.

13

See Jonathan Hiskey, et al., Understanding the Central American Refugee Crisis: Why
They Are Fleeing and How U.S. Policies Are Failing to Deter Them (American
Immigration Council 2016),
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/understanding_t
he_central_american_refugee_crisis.pdf.
14
See, e.g., USCIRF, Report on Asylum Seekers in Expedited Removal, Volume I:
Findings and Recommendations, at 60-61, 68-69 (2005),
http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/resources/stories/pdf/asylum_seekers/Volume_I.
pdf.
20

 56.

The detention of asylum seekers causes them psychological and physical

trauma. Confined detainees have little information or control over their environments
and often experience circumstances similar to “sensory deprivation.” 15 They develop
feelings of “helplessness and hopelessness that lead to debilitating depressive symptoms,
chronic anxiety, despair, dread,” Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”), and suicidal
ideation. 16 Some attempt suicide.
57.

Asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable to trauma because detention

may exacerbate traumas they have experienced in the past. 17 The court in the Abdi case
found that class members’ “physical and psychological impairments” resulting from their
“prolonged confinement” established that detainees were irreparably harmed. 2017 WL
5599521, at *23. These deleterious impacts of detention begin immediately and worsen
over time.
58.

Detention also impairs asylum seekers’ ability to adequately prepare for

and litigate their asylum hearings. See id. Representation is crucial to prevailing on an
asylum claim, 18 yet detention makes it much less likely that asylum seekers can secure
lawyers, gather evidence, and prepare their asylum cases. Detention centers under the

15

Physicians for Human Rights, Punishment Before Justice: Indefinite Detention in the
U.S., at 7-11 (2011), https://s3.amazonaws.com/PHR_Reports/indefinite-detentionjune2011.pdf.
16
Id. at 11.
17
Id. at 26-27; see also Physicians for Human Rights and Bellevue/NYU Program for
Survivors of Torture, From Persecution to Prison: The Health Consequences of
Detention for Asylum Seekers at 2 (2003) (study of 70 detained asylum seekers finding
that 86 percent experienced symptoms of depression, 77 percent anxiety, and 50 percent
PTSD).
18
See, e.g., TRAC Immigration, Asylum Representation Rates Have Fallen Amid Rising
Denial Rates (Nov. 28, 2017), http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/491/ (reporting
government data showing represented asylum seekers are five times more likely to win
asylum than pro se litigants).
21

 jurisdiction of several of the ICE Field Offices are located in remote locations, far from
pro bono immigration lawyers, making it very difficult for individuals to obtain legal
advice. Detention further curtails access to counsel by imposing strict limitations on
attorney access and attorney communications. For those asylum seekers able to secure
representation, the conditions of detention impair their ability to develop trusting
relationships with attorneys, which are necessary to prepare their claims for protection.
CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS
59.

Plaintiffs bring this action pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

23(a) and 23(b)(2) on behalf of themselves and all other persons similarly situated. The
proposed class is defined as follows:
(1) All arriving asylum seekers; (2) who are found to have a credible fear
of persecution or torture; and (3) who are or will be detained by U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (4) after having been denied
parole under the authority of ICE’s Detroit, El Paso, Los Angeles,
Newark, or Philadelphia Field Office.
60.

The class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable.

According to ICE data, from February to September 2017 alone, the ICE Field Offices
denied nearly 800 requests for parole by asylum seekers who passed their credible fear
interviews. This data suggests that, since late January 2017, more than 1,000 asylum
seekers likely have been detained and denied parole pursuant to Defendants’ Deterrence
Policy, and therefore have satisfied the class definition. Many more individuals will
become class members in the future.
61.

Whether the Deterrence Policy is lawful presents common questions of

fact and law. All class members have been subjected to a common Deterrence Policy.

22

 The facts and circumstances surrounding that policy thus concern all class members. The
issues regarding the legality of the Deterrence Policy also apply to the class as a whole.
62.

The claims of the representative parties are typical of the claims of the

class. Plaintiffs and the class of individuals they seek to represent have all been detained
pursuant to the policies and practices described above. The legal claims raised by
Plaintiffs are identical to the class claims.
63.

Plaintiffs are adequate representatives because they seek the same relief as

the other members of the class: that Defendants be enjoined from applying the
Deterrence Policy and required to determine custody based on an individualized
determination of each migrant’s flight risk and danger to the community through the
parole process and at a custody hearing before an immigration judge. Plaintiffs do not
have any interests adverse to those of the class as a whole.
64.

The proposed class would be represented by counsel from the ACLU,

Covington & Burling LLP, the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, and Human
Rights First. Counsel have extensive experience litigating class action lawsuits,
including lawsuits on behalf of immigration detainees. Counsel also have significant
legal and factual expertise on the detention of asylum seekers.
65.

Defendants have acted on grounds generally applicable to the class by

applying the Deterrence Policy to all class members. Thus, injunctive and declaratory
relief is appropriate with respect to the class as a whole.

23

 CAUSES OF ACTION
First Claim
(Administrative Procedure Act)
Unlawful Failure to Follow and/or Effective Rescission the ICE Parole Directive
66.

All of the foregoing allegations are repeated and realleged as though fully

set forth herein.
67.

Pursuant to the Deterrence Policy, Defendants have detained Plaintiffs and

similarly-situated persons without parole reviews that conform to the requirements of the
Parole Directive.
68.

Through the Deterrence Policy, DHS has violated and/or de facto

rescinded the Parole Directive without providing any reasoned justification for its change
in policy.
69.

DHS’s violation and/or effective rescission of its own Parole Directive

while representing that the Directive remains in full force and effect is unlawful.
70.

Defendants’ actions are arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law, in

violation of the APA. See 5 U.S.C. § 706(2).
Second Claim
(Administrative Procedure Act – Violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act
and Implementing Regulations)
Failure to Provide an Individualized Determination of Flight Risk and Danger
71.

All of the foregoing allegations are repeated and realleged as though fully

set forth herein.
72.

Pursuant to the Deterrence Policy, Defendants have detained Plaintiffs and

persons similarly situated, without having made individualized determinations through
the parole-review process that such detention is necessary based on flight risk or danger

24

 to the community. Defendants have done so to deter other asylum seekers from seeking
refuge in the United States.
73.

Defendants’ Deterrence Policy constitutes final agency action for which

there is no other adequate remedy. This action governs parole decisions made by ICE
agents at the ICE Field Offices pursuant to INA § 212(d)(5), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5), 8
C.F.R. § 212.5(b), and will govern parole decisions made at those field offices in the
future. Because of the Deterrence Policy, Plaintiffs and those similarly situated have
been or will be detained without individualized parole review on flight risk or danger.
74.

Under the INA and implementing regulations, immigration detention of an

asylum seeker must be based on an individualized determination that the asylum seeker
constitutes a flight risk or a danger to the community. Detention based on general
deterrence of others is not permissible. Accordingly, the Deterrence Policy violates the
INA and its implementing regulations.

Third Claim
(Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution)
Failure to Provide an Individualized Determination of Flight Risk and Danger
75.

All of the foregoing allegations are repeated and realleged as though fully

set forth herein.
76.

The Due Process Clause provides that “no person . . . shall be deprived of

. . . liberty . . . without due process of law.” U.S. Const., amend. V.
77.

Asylum seekers who present themselves at a port of entry to the United

States are “persons” who may not be deprived of liberty without due process of law under
the Due Process Clause.

25

 78.

The Due Process Clause permits civil immigration detention of an asylum

seeker only where such detention is reasonably related to the government’s interests in
preventing flight or protecting the community from danger. Thus, due process requires
an individualized assessment of flight risk or danger to the community to determine
whether detention is justified.
79.

In addition, particularly where detention is prolonged, due process

requires a custody hearing before a neutral decision-maker to determine if detention is
necessary.
80.

Pursuant to the Deterrence Policy, Defendants have detained Plaintiffs and

similarly situated persons without individualized determinations of flight risk or danger
to the community through the parole process or at a custody hearing before a neutral
decision-maker. Thus, the Deterrence Policy violates the Due Process Clause.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court:
a. Certify this case as a class action lawsuit, as proposed herein, appoint Plaintiffs as
class representatives, and appoint the undersigned counsel as class counsel;
b. Declare that the Deterrence Policy is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law;
c. Enter an order enjoining Defendants from detaining Plaintiffs and proposed class
members absent parole reviews that result in individualized determinations that
detention is necessary to prevent flight or danger to the community and that
conform to the other requirements of the Parole Directive;
d. Enter an order enjoining Defendants from subjecting Plaintiffs and proposed class
members to prolonged detention absent a custody hearing before an immigration

26

 judge to determine if detention is necessary to prevent flight or danger to the
community;
e. Award Plaintiffs’ counsel reasonable attorneys’ fees under the Equal Access to
Justice Act and any other applicable statute or regulation; and
f. Grant such further relief as the Court deems just, equitable, and appropriate.

27

 Dated: March 15, 2018

Respectfully submitted.

Judy Rabinovitz
Michael K.T. Tan

Dennis B. Auerbach (D.C. Bar No. 418982)
Philip J. Levitz(D.C. Bar No. 1018430)

American Civil Liberties Union

CoviNGTON & Burling LLP

Foundation,Immigrants' Rights

One CityCenter

Project

850 Tenth St., N.W.

125 Broad Street, 18th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20001-4956
(202)662-6000

New York, NY 10004

(212)549-2618
Eunice Lee

Stephen B. Kang

Blaine Bookey

American Civil Liberties Union

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

Foundation,Immigrants' Rights

200 McAllister St.

Project

San Francisco, CA 94102

39 Drumm Street

(415)565-4877

San Francisco, CA 94111

(415)343-0783

Arthur B. Spitzer(D.C. Bar. No. 235960)
American Civil Liberties Union of the

Hardy Vieux (D.C. Bar No. 474762)

District of Columbia

Laura Gault*

915 15th Street, NW,2nd floor
Washington, D.C. 20005-2302
(202)457-0800

Human Rights First

805 15th Street, N.W., Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202)547-5692

Farrin R. Anello
Edward Barocas

Josie Cardoso-Rojo

Jeanne LoCicero

Human Rights First

American Civil Liberties Union of New

75 Broad Street, 31st floor

Jersey Foundation

New York, NY 10004

P.O. Box 32159

(212)845-5200

Newark, NJ 07102

(973)642-2084

'Although LCvR 83.2(c) and (d)do not apply to Ms. Gault, she appears before the Court
pursuant to LCvR 83.2(g), which states,"ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING
INDIGENTS. Notwithstanding(c) and (d)above, an attorney who is a member in good

standing of the District of Columbia Bar or who is a member in good standing of the bar
of any United States Court or of the highest court of any State may appear, file papers
and practice in any case handled without a fee on behalf of indigents upon filing a
certificate that the attorney is providing representation without compensation." Ms.
Gault is not receiving compensation for her services.
28

 Michael J. Steinberg

Freda J. Levenson

Abril Valdes

ACLU OF Ohio

American Civil Liberties Union

4506 Chester Ave.

Fund of Michigan

Cleveland, OH 44103

2966 Woodward Avenue

(216)472-2220

Detroit, MI 48201

(313)578-6814

Ahilan T. Arulanantham
Sameer Ahmed

Leon Howard

ACLU Foundation of Southern

Kristin Greer Love

California

ACLU OF New Mexico

1313 West 8th Street

1410 Coal Ave. SW

Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213)977-5232

Albuquerque, NM 87104
(505)266-5915, xl007
Witold J. Walczak

Golnaz Fakhimi
ACLU OF Pennsylvania

247 Ft. Pitt Blvd., 2nd floor

Pittsburgh,PA 15222
(412)681-7864

Edgar Saldivar
Andre Segura
ACLU Foundation of Texas,Inc.
1500 McGowen,Suite 250
Houston,TX 77004

(713)942-8146 xlll

29