Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to Proceed

Mar 28, Thursday


Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to ProceedTop Stories

July 24, 2018 06:44
Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to Proceed

(Image source from: Yahoo News Singapore)

A Boston federal judge yesterday rejected a bid by the United States President Donald Trump's administration to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that its decisions to end temporary protections for immigrants in the U.S. from Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador were racially actuated.

Denise Casper, the U.S. District Judge, in Boston ruled that immigrant groups and two organizations with a case challenging the termination of administration could move forward of the protective status relished by thousands of people from those three countries.

She said the lawsuit's allegations about "statements of animus" by officials including President Donald Trump coupled with claims about a shift in policy "allege plausibly that a discriminatory purpose was a motivating factor in a decision."

The lawsuit cited statements it said showed Trump's "dislike and disregard for Latino and black immigrants," including reported remarks in January by Trump saying immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from "shithole countries."

"Plaintiffs have successfully made out their prima facie case," Casper wrote.

The U.S. Justice Department, which represented the administration in court, had no immediate comment. It had argued that the courts lack jurisdiction to review the decisions at issue.

The Trump administration has shown a deep skepticism toward the temporary protected status program and has moved to revoke the special status afforded to thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Sudan.

About 400,000 immigrants from countries designated for temporary protected status live in the United States, including 262,500 from El Salvador, 58,550 from Haiti and 86,000 from Honduras, according to the lawsuit.

In May, the Department of Homeland Security said it would end temporary protections for Hondurans in January 2020. Haitians and Salvadorans are set to lose their special statuses in July 2019 and September 2019, respectively.

The lawsuit was filed by 14 immigrants from those three countries and two non-profit organizations, Haitian-Americans United and Centro Presente.

The complaint contends the administration's actions violate the U.S. Constitution's equal protection and due process provisions.

"The judge, in this case, made clear that TPS recipients have viable constitutional claims and that they deserve a day in court," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, which represented the plaintiffs.

By Sowmya Sangam

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Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to Proceed

Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to Proceed

Mar 28, Thursday


Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to ProceedTop Stories

July 24, 2018 06:44
Federal Judge in Boston Allows Lawsuit over End of Immigration Protections to Proceed

(Image source from: Yahoo News Singapore)

A Boston federal judge yesterday rejected a bid by the United States President Donald Trump's administration to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that its decisions to end temporary protections for immigrants in the U.S. from Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador were racially actuated.

Denise Casper, the U.S. District Judge, in Boston ruled that immigrant groups and two organizations with a case challenging the termination of administration could move forward of the protective status relished by thousands of people from those three countries.

She said the lawsuit's allegations about "statements of animus" by officials including President Donald Trump coupled with claims about a shift in policy "allege plausibly that a discriminatory purpose was a motivating factor in a decision."

The lawsuit cited statements it said showed Trump's "dislike and disregard for Latino and black immigrants," including reported remarks in January by Trump saying immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from "shithole countries."

"Plaintiffs have successfully made out their prima facie case," Casper wrote.

The U.S. Justice Department, which represented the administration in court, had no immediate comment. It had argued that the courts lack jurisdiction to review the decisions at issue.

The Trump administration has shown a deep skepticism toward the temporary protected status program and has moved to revoke the special status afforded to thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Sudan.

About 400,000 immigrants from countries designated for temporary protected status live in the United States, including 262,500 from El Salvador, 58,550 from Haiti and 86,000 from Honduras, according to the lawsuit.

In May, the Department of Homeland Security said it would end temporary protections for Hondurans in January 2020. Haitians and Salvadorans are set to lose their special statuses in July 2019 and September 2019, respectively.

The lawsuit was filed by 14 immigrants from those three countries and two non-profit organizations, Haitian-Americans United and Centro Presente.

The complaint contends the administration's actions violate the U.S. Constitution's equal protection and due process provisions.

"The judge, in this case, made clear that TPS recipients have viable constitutional claims and that they deserve a day in court," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, which represented the plaintiffs.

By Sowmya Sangam

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Tagged Under :
Boston  Denise Casper  Immigration