Federal government sued for detaining immigrant teens

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the federal government for detaining immigrant teenagers suspected by immigration authorities of having ties to gangs.

The lawsuit claims that, before being detained, the minors were evaluated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and released into the custody of their parents. They were then transported from their homes in New York to various detention facilities in northern California. Once incarcerated, they were denied legal counsel, held in prison-like conditions and given no chance to contest their allegations.

The ACLU of Northern California is representing Lorenza Gomez, Ilsa Saravia and Wilfredo Velasquez, who are relatives of some of the teenagers, in a lawsuit on behalf of teens dealing with similar issues. They hope to receive a declaration that the federal government has violated the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments to the Constitution, according to court documents, and get the teenagers released.

The suit claims that the gang allegations against the minors were unfounded and charges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement with accepting unsubstantiated gang accusations from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In November 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria ordered the government to provide the detained youths with a hearing. More than 35 children with similar issues were granted hearings as a result of this order, and 30 of them were released because the government’s evidence was unsatisfactory or non-existent.

The ACLU suit claims that the minors in question had all been living in the U.S. for extended periods with minimal, if any, legal trouble. It also claims that the Trump administration plans to continue attempting to deport individuals it classifies as gang members.

Federal officials were unavailable to comment on the case.

Federal government sued for detaining immigrant teens

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