Friend –

The ACLU of Alaska Legal team has been hard at work over the last few weeks to protect and defend the civil rights of immigrants and incarcerated Alaskans. We filed two new lawsuits in the last three weeks that have garnered media attention and made a strong impact in our communities. In case you missed them, here are summaries of the two lawsuits.

• Kashikov v Noem. The ACLU of Alaska filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect the due process rights of Jean Kashikov, a recent graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage who studied under an F-1 student visa. Mr. Kashikov's practical training period, a period of temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study, was unlawfully and abruptly terminated by the DHS for no valid reason and without notice.
  
  Two days after the lawsuit was filed, the Trump Administration and DHS announced it would re-activate SEVIS accounts for F-1 students whose status was revoked, including Mr. Kashikov's. The ACLU of Alaska secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) for Mr. Kashikov to ensure he can remain in Alaska and continue to work while the government works to reverse course.
• Vail v. Dunleavy. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska, with the ACLU National Prison Project, filed a class action lawsuit against the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) challenging DOC's inadequate, dangerous, and inhumane health care system. The federal court lawsuit, brought on behalf of incarcerated Alaskans, contends that the state's failure to provide adequate health care is a violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and has resulted in needless suffering, decline, and death. A years-long investigation into the inadequate physical, dental, and mental health care for thousands of incarcerated Alaskans demonstrates a critical need to fix DOC's health care system immediately.

The civil rights landscape is rapidly changing, but we're rising to the occasion and fighting for justice for Alaskans across the state. Stay tuned for more legal updates and news from the ACLU of Alaska.

Sincerely,

ACLU of Alaska