ECBAWM and co-counsel secured a major victory for immigrant New Yorkers after a federal district court granted a stay largely prohibiting ICE from conducting civil immigration arrests at New York City immigration courthouses while litigation proceeds in African Communities Together and The Door v. Todd Lyons. The ruling marks a significant step toward ensuring immigrants can safely attend mandatory court proceedings without fear of arrest.

The lawsuit — brought by Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Make the Road New York — challenges ICE policies that allowed agents to arrest individuals appearing for immigration hearings.

“We are grateful that the court recognized today what our clients and immigrant communities have been saying all along: allowing ICE to arrest people at immigration court without any limits undermines access to justice and erodes trust in the legal system,” said Katie Rosenfeld, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “Today’s decision restores critical protections for people appearing in immigration court and reaffirms that federal agencies must follow the law when changing policies that affect fundamental rights and due process.”

ECBAWM Attorneys Katie Rosenfeld, Sam Shapiro, Emily Wanger, and ECBAWM staff Toby Shore and Ama Boham, along with co-counsel at the NYCLU, ACLU, and Make the Road represent African Communities Together (ACT) in this lawsuit.

Read the press release here.

Press:

The New York Times: Judge Bars ICE From Making Immigration Arrests at Courts in New York

NBC News: Federal agents can’t make arrests in N.Y. immigration courts, judge rules

The City: Federal Judge Blocks ICE Arrests Inside NYC Immigration Courthouses