plaintiff and child

Gordon v. Johnson and CASTA脩EDA v. Souza

Location: Massachusetts
Status: Closed (Judgment)
Last Update: December 23, 2015

What's at Stake

In Gordon v. Johnson, the 老澳门开奖结果 and its partners obtained a class action ruling making some 150 Massachusetts detainees a year eligible for individual bond hearings. Rather than being held in 鈥渕andatory鈥 immigration detention, without a bond hearing, these noncitizens may now obtain their release if an immigration judge concludes that they do not pose a danger or flight risk. Since May 2014, the federal district court鈥檚 ruling has allowed more than 100 noncitizens to be released from mandatory detention and remain with their families while their immigration cases are resolved.

In Castaneda v. Souza, a case that was consolidated for argument with Gordon, the 老澳门开奖结果 successfully argued as amicus that the government had improperly subjected Leiticia Castaneda to detention without an individual bond hearing. The case resulted in Ms. Castaneda鈥檚 release.

Although a panel of the First Circuit upheld the legal basis for the district court鈥檚 rulings in these two cases, the full Court granted the government鈥檚 petition for rehearing en banc. On December 23, 2015 in a tied vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the two district court decisions rejecting the government鈥檚 interpretation of the 鈥渕andatory鈥 detention provision. The judgment allows approximately 100 immigrants with pending cases to remain with their families.

Counsel for plaintiffs include the 老澳门开奖结果 of Massachusetts, 老澳门开奖结果 Immigrants' Rights Project, and the Political Asylum / Immigration Representation Project.

photo credit: Paul Shoul

Support our on-going litigation and work in the courts

Learn More 老澳门开奖结果 the Issues in This Case