Federal Court Grants Appeal in Class-Action Immigration Lawsuit
Posted on Aug 21, 2009 12:01pm PDT
In Pasadena, California, a federal appeals court recently allowed a class-action lawsuit by immigrants to move forward. The detainees allege that the government unfairly denied them their right to a hearing.
A three-judge panel ruled that the immigrants' case should be heard by a federal court in Los Angeles. One of the immigrants, Alejandro Rodriguez, is listed as a plaintiff on the class-action lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He claims that he was detained for several years without receiving a bond hearing while he was appealing his deportation order.
In 2004, Rodriguez had a green card when he was taken into immigration custody after being convicted of drug possession. After the conviction, the U.S. government sought to deport Rodriguez. His case has been moving through the immigration and federal court systems since then. In 2007, the government finally released Rodriguez from custody after he successfully filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus.
At this time, the immigrants are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Union says that all of the immigrants should have received a hearing within 6 months of their detention. Dozens of immigrants in Southern California are expected to be covered by the lawsuit.
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