Bahena v. ICE

Thirteen immigrants detained in Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield, California and at Yuba County Jail. filed a lawsuit in federal district court against U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement calling for their immediate release.

Because of their advanced age and underlying medical conditions, the 13 plaintiffs are especially vulnerable to the potentially fatal COVID-19 infection while they are confined in crowded and unsanitary conditions where social distancing is not possible.

The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU Foundations of Northern California and Southern California, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, and Lakin & Wille LLP.

[ORDER]April 8, 2020[/ORDER] Court orders ICE to release four of the plaintiffs. Read the order.

[FILING]March 24, 2020[/FILING] Plaintiffs filed a temporary restraining order directing that they be immediately released from their current confinement at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility and the Yuba County Jail. Read the motion.

[FILING]March 24, 2020[/FILING] ACLU SoCal and its partners filed the original complaint in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco Division. Read the complaint.