ACLU Of SoCal Sues to Stop Immigration Holds on US Citizens
The Associated Press reports that the federal government is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and other immigrant advocates. The lawsuit alleges that Customs Enforcement detains arrestees before thoroughly investigating their legal status—at times adversely affecting American citizens. ACLU is seeking class action status for the lawsuit. They hope to force the government to rescind any existing holds and reissue them only if a probable cause for holding can be established. According to the lawsuit, immigration agents filed more than 125,000 detainers in Southern California between October 2009 and February 2013.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/06/19/immigrant-advocates-sue-us-govt-over-so-called-detainers/
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D.C. Council Panel OKs Driver’s Licenses for Illegally Present Immigrants
The Washington Times reports that The Committee on Transportation and the Environment voted 5-0 on a bill that would begin making driver’s licenses available to illegally present immigrants in Washington D.C. The original legislation stipulated that licenses obtained by illegally present immigrants would include a disclosure preventing them from being used as a federal form of identification. Activists spoke out against this stipulation, claiming it could be used to single out certain people. The Committee therefore decided to nix the disclosure, concluding that marking could be done at a later time if necessary. D.C. Council member Jim Graham sought to alter the types of documents that were required in order to obtain a driver’s license, but his amendment was defeated. According to chairwoman of the committee Mary M. Cheh, some changes may be taken under consideration and added to the legislation before the bill is introduced before the council.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/2/dc-council-panel-oks-drivers-licensesfor-illegal-/
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New York Judge Halts Deportation of Married Gay Man
Rawstory.com reports that Steven Brooks, a Columbian immigrant, faced deportation until an immigration judge halted the order following the Supreme Court’s DOMA decision. Steven Brooks and his husband Sean, a U.S. citizen, filed a green card petition in order to help Steven obtain permanent resident status, but the petition caused problems with his visa. When he asked the court to reconsider due to the likely hardship his husband would face, the appeal was denied on the grounds that federal law did not recognize their marriage, despite the fact that the two married legally in New York. However, the judge ultimately halted Steven’s deportation “minutes” after the Supreme Court struck down DOMA.
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