Federal Judge Blocks ICE Courthouse Arrests

In a case brought by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) and our allies, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani today issued a Preliminary Injunction stopping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “from civilly arresting parties, witnesses, and others attending Massachusetts courthouses on official business while they are going to, attending, or leaving the courthouse.”

Today’s order represents a huge victory for the rule of law, against the overreaching anti-immigrant policies of the Trump Administration. As LCR and our allies have consistently demonstrated, ICE’s immigration enforcement in and around courthouses undermines our system of justice, by chilling victims and witnesses from seeking redress in our courts. We are gratified by today’s ruling, and look forward to continuing to protect the rights of immigrant communities through creative and courageous legal action.

Lawyers for Civil Rights represents the Chelsea Collaborative in this groundbreaking litigation. District Attorneys Marian Ryan and Rachael Rollins and the Committee for Public Counsel Services are additional plaintiffs. Goodwin LLP and CPCS are co-counsel on this matter.

The decision is available here.

Ryan v. ICE PI Memo