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THE LATEST FILINGS
- Scrutinizing ICE’s Treatment of Black Immigrants in Detention
In April 2021, the American Immigration Council and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to uncover evidence of discriminatory treatment of Black immigrants detained at eight detention facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
To continue their investigation, the Council and BAJI recently filed additional public records requests—this time, with local government entities. These local governments contract with the federal government to detain immigrants in their jurisdictions. The federal government, through ICE, provides funds to state institutions like sheriffs’ offices or municipalities, which then hire private prison companies to operate the detention facilities.
The public records requests seek copies of these contracts and information collected by local authorities about the treatment of immigration detainees in their jurisdictions.
These documents should shed light on the role these local entities have played in the immigration detention system and create greater transparency and accountability at the state level.
Read more: Scrutinizing the Treatment Black Immigrants Face in Detention
WHO WE'RE SUING (AND WHY)
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – Demanding Information about Enforcement Practices on the Northern Border
CBP operates a headquarters near Port Clinton, Ohio on the Canadian border—the Sandusky Bay Station. The station opened in 2012, but CBP has been tight-lipped about its operations.
To learn more about CBP and Border Patrol operations at Sandusky, the Council and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) filed FOIA requests asking for documentation of apprehensions, policies, and communications within the Sandusky Bay Station. These documents are key to the public’s understanding of CBP’s enforcement practices in Ohio and how CBP enforces immigration laws at northern U.S. borders and ports of entry to the United States. When CBP failed to fully respond to the FOIA requests, the Council and ABLE filed suit.
The requested records will provide crucial oversight—ensuring CBP’s accountability for practices around apprehensions, arrests, detention, racial profiling, and collaboration with local law enforcement.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Western Division. The Council, ABLE, and Immigrant Defense Project are co-counsel on the suit.
Read More: Council Sues to Obtain Records about Border Patrol Practices in Ohio
DIG DEEPER
The American Immigration Council works to hold the government accountable on immigration issues. We harness freedom of information requests, litigation, and advocacy to expose wrongdoing and promote transparency within immigration agencies.
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