Establishing local presence helps identify emerging challenges

Move comes as immigration courts are speeding up deportation hearings against children, raising serious concerns

LOS ANGELES – Five people who have lived in the United States legally for decades filed a lawsuit today challenging a little-known government program that is being used to deny thousands of law-abiding people citizenship, green cards, asylum, and visas on counterterrorism grounds – most of them from Muslim-majority countries. Like people who find themselves in the government’s watchlist system, immigrants whose applications are denied under the program do not find out why or have a meaningful opportunity to respond.

LOS ANGELES – Last year, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Public Counsel and the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP filed a lawsuit challenging the State of California and state educational officials’ failure to ensure that school districts provide language instruction to tens of thousands of English learners across California.

Please attribute the following statement to Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California:

LOS ANGELES – The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, American Immigration Council, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Public Counsel and K&L Gates LLP today filed a nationwide class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of children who are challenging the federal government's failure to provide them with legal representation as it carries out deportation hearings against them.

Please attribute the following statement to Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California: 

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said today, it will open new detention facilities to house immigrant families crossing the border illegally, amid a surge from Central America.