The Daily Journal cited Mr. Arulanantham’s work on the landmark case of Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder, a class action lawsuit on behalf of immigration detainees suffering from serious mental disabilities. In April, a federal court judge ruled that the government must provide legal representation to detainees whose mental disabilities leave them unable to represent themselves in their immigration proceedings. This marked the first time that immigration detainees won a right to appointed counsel in removal proceedings.
“I am proud of the honor, which belongs not to me but to all of the attorneys and other advocates at the ACLU, Sullivan & Cromwell, Public Counsel, the Northwest Immigrants’ Rights Project, and Mental Health Advocacy Services who have worked tirelessly to create justice for people with serious mental disabilities caught in the immigration detention and deportation system,” said Mr. Arulanantham.