Detroit Judge Stays Deportation of 114 Iraqi Nationals

A federal judge in Detroit granted a temporary stay to 114 Iraqi nationals due up for deportation. According to MLive.com, the order was issued by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith of Detroit. The arrests are part of a broader net cast nationwide, in which immigrants previously accused and convicted of criminal offenses are being


9th Circuit Court of Appeals Rules Immigrant Unaccompanied Minors Entitled to Bail Hearings

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that unaccompanied minors detained for immigration offenses are entitled to bail hearings. According to Politico, the Justice Department had been arguing that a 2002 law transferring responsibility for unaccompanied immigrant minors to the Department of Health and Human Services ‘superseded a 1997 settlement under which the government



More Patriotic than Punching Nazis

Happy Independence Day to our American Legal Readers! Such interesting times in which we find ourselves this year. As I write this post on our national holiday, my country seems closer to disintegrating than it has in a long, long time. At the heart of the matter lie two competing worldviews for the heart, soul, and vision of the future of the United States of America.


Scott County, MS, Settles Class Action Over ‘Indefinite’ Detainment of Inmates in County Jail

Officials in Scott County, MS, settled a lawsuit Wednesday after being accused of jailing impoverished Mississippians for up to a year without legal representation or formal indictments. The American Civil Liberties Union announced the settlement earlier in the week, after having spent two years representing former inmates Josh Bassett and Octavious Burks. Both men had



Gov. Rick Scott Signs HB 65 To Help Victims of Terrorism

Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, was a busy man last month. Not only did he sign 33 different bills into law during the month of June, but he made sure that one of those laws would allow “victims of terrorism to recover legal fees and damages.” The particular law is known as HB 65, and will provide “a civil remedy for terrorism, providing at least $1,000 in damages and covering attorney fees to those who are victims.” The author of the bill was first-term Rep. Jason Fischer, a Republican from Jacksonville.


Seattle Judge OKs Class Action Suit After Immigration Program Delays Muslims’ Citizenship and Immigration Applications

A Seattle judge gave the go-ahead to a class action lawsuit challenging a once-secret government program which delayed Muslims’ citizenship and immigration applications. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones denied a Justice Department motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Wednesday. The Star Tribune reports the case was originally brought to court by the American Civil Liberties


U.S. Judge Asked to Halt Deportation of Around 100 Iraqis Arrested in Metro Detroit

A U.S. judge heard arguments against the deportation of around 100 Iraqis arrested in the Detroit Metropolitan area. The arrests were undertaken by immigration authorities nationwide, seeking to detain Iraqi immigrants who had committed ‘serious crimes’ and had their final deportation orders approved. The move came after the Republic of Iraq agreed to begin accepting