Filed Date: Aug. 22, 2014
Closed Date: 2015
Clearinghouse coding complete
On August 22, 2014, mothers and children from El Salvador and Honduras, who were held in a detention center in Artesia, New Mexico, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The plaintiffs brought their suit under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT), implemented in the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (FARRA). The Plaintiffs allege that their rights to seek asylum and related relief, and to a fair hearing to present their claims, have been violated.
Specifically, plaintiffs allege that they have been subjected to a process in which they are provided virtually no notice of when critical proceedings are scheduled to occur; asylum officers and immigration judges rush them to answer questions regarding the violence, death threats, and sexual abuse they fear - all while their children are listening; their children are ordered removed without being individually screened to determine whether they have a separate basis for fearing persecution; and their claims are denied for failing to properly respond to questions about their asylum claims phrased in complicated legal terminology.
The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Immigration Project and National Immigration Law Center, asked the court for: a declaratory judgment; a corrective action plan to be approved by the court; attorneys' fees; the return of deportees; and an injunctive order for the opportunity for plaintiffs to be given the opportunity to apply for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT relief before any removal order is executed, including a new credible fear interview. They also requested, if relevant, a new immigration judge credible fear review hearing, with a reasonable amount of advance time to obtain and meet with counsel and prepare for each, as well as notice to Plaintiffs and their retained counsel as to the time of each such interview and/or hearing.
On January 30, 2015, Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed all of their claims without prejudice. In their notice, Plaintiffs indicated that, as a result of the filing of the lawsuit, DHS had taken steps to remedy the failures at the Artesia facility. Furthermore, the individual Plaintiffs were able to secure representation from volunteer attorneys. In each Plaintiff's immigration case, the federal government revisited the negative decisions, vacated the expedited removal orders, and placed each Plaintiff in regular immigration proceedings. One Plaintiff had already secured asylum for herself and her children. The notice also stated that, on December 18, 2014, the federal government closed the Artesia detention facility.
Summary Authors
Tania Morris Diaz (10/23/2014)
Dan Whitman (2/22/2015)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4212978/parties/mspc-v-johnson/
Adams, Russell W. (District of Columbia)
Adelman, Roger M. (District of Columbia)
Ambinder, Lloyd Robert (District of Columbia)
Amunson, Jessica Ring (District of Columbia)
Adebonojo, Kenneth A. (District of Columbia)
Adams, Russell W. (District of Columbia)
Adelman, Roger M. (District of Columbia)
Ambinder, Lloyd Robert (District of Columbia)
Amunson, Jessica Ring (District of Columbia)
Apfel, Carrie F (District of Columbia)
Apfel, Matthew S. (District of Columbia)
Bailey, Kenneth Camp (District of Columbia)
BARRETT, PATRICK (District of Columbia)
Barthelette, Gregory R. (District of Columbia)
Barton, Robert Joseph (District of Columbia)
Bell, David E. (District of Columbia)
Berman, Steve W. (District of Columbia)
Bernstein, Jules (District of Columbia)
Berry, Robert Stephen (District of Columbia)
Black, Charles Allen (District of Columbia)
Bond, Ferris Ridgely (District of Columbia)
Bonin, Adam C. (District of Columbia)
Borden, Bennett B. (District of Columbia)
Bowman, Theresa Brownell (District of Columbia)
BRADICK, NICOLE L. (District of Columbia)
Branch, David A. (District of Columbia)
Braun, Robert Abraham (District of Columbia)
Bravin, Mark Neil (District of Columbia)
BRODERICK, R. GEOFFREY (District of Columbia)
Brody, Michael T. (District of Columbia)
Bruskin, Robert Mark (District of Columbia)
Buchanan, Avis E. (District of Columbia)
Burbridge, Richard D. (District of Columbia)
CABRASER, ELIZABETH J. (District of Columbia)
Cambs, Peter J. (District of Columbia)
Carroll, Kelly A. (District of Columbia)
Celestin, Jenny (District of Columbia)
Cheek, Marney L. (District of Columbia)
Chew, Benjamin G. (District of Columbia)
Circelli, Vincent Paul (District of Columbia)
Claiborne, William Charles (District of Columbia)
Clarke, Kay M. (District of Columbia)
Cohen, Daniel Eric (District of Columbia)
Coleman, Llezlie Green (District of Columbia)
Collingsworth, Terry (District of Columbia)
Collingsworth, Terrence P. (District of Columbia)
Cook, David J. (District of Columbia)
CORBITT, CRAIG C. (District of Columbia)
COVINGTON, TROY R (District of Columbia)
Cowan, Robert W. (District of Columbia)
CRAWFORD, BRYAN L. (District of Columbia)
Creighton, Emily J. (District of Columbia)
Cross, Othello C. (District of Columbia)
Crow, Melissa E. (District of Columbia)
Cunningham, Lynn E. (District of Columbia)
Dalmat, Darin Matthew (District of Columbia)
Day, Charles Williamson (District of Columbia)
DeLange, Timothy Alan (District of Columbia)
Deso, Robert Edward (District of Columbia)
Desormeau, Katherine (District of Columbia)
Dessel, Lisa J. (District of Columbia)
Dickens, David J. (District of Columbia)
Dovalina, Jesus M. (District of Columbia)
Dowden, William Coleman (District of Columbia)
Drennan, Joseph Peter (District of Columbia)
Dugan, James R. (District of Columbia)
Dunlap, Thomas Mansfield (District of Columbia)
Dunn, Alvin Bertram (District of Columbia)
Egler, Thomas Edward (District of Columbia)
Emison, Brett A. (District of Columbia)
England-Albright, April (District of Columbia)
Espinet, Danielle M. (District of Columbia)
Espy, Alphonso Michael (District of Columbia)
ESQ., DAVID WOODWARD (District of Columbia)
ESQ., MATTHEW W. (District of Columbia)
ESQ., JENNIFER FOUNTAIN (District of Columbia)
Fallow, Katherine Amy (District of Columbia)
Fay, Caragh Glenn (District of Columbia)
Fay, Thomas Fortune (District of Columbia)
Feeney, Robert Peter (District of Columbia)
Fegan, Elizabeth A. (District of Columbia)
Fennell, Stephen A. (District of Columbia)
Fex, Cecilia Carina (District of Columbia)
Fierst, David U. (District of Columbia)
Fisher, Michele R (District of Columbia)
Fitch, Elaine Lynette (District of Columbia)
Fleming, Timothy B. (District of Columbia)
FONTAINE, DONALD F. (District of Columbia)
Fraas, Phillip L. (District of Columbia)
Francis, Gregorio (District of Columbia)
FRANK, ROBERT S. (District of Columbia)
Frantz, David Joseph (District of Columbia)
Frazier, Jeff L. (District of Columbia)
Friedman, Andrew N. (District of Columbia)
Frohman, Charles G (District of Columbia)
Fuentes, Gabriel A. (Illinois)
Garon, Lenore Cooper (District of Columbia)
Gaskill, Daniel W. (District of Columbia)
Gebhardt, Joseph D. (District of Columbia)
Gilman, Nicholas (District of Columbia)
Girardi, Thomas V. (District of Columbia)
Goel, Ankur Jayant (District of Columbia)
Goldstein, Jayne Arnold (District of Columbia)
Gonzalez, Joseph D. (District of Columbia)
Groen, John Maurice (District of Columbia)
Grossman, Joanne Barbara (District of Columbia)
Guest, Richard A. (District of Columbia)
Gustafson, Adam R.F. (District of Columbia)
Hafemann, John (District of Columbia)
Hager, Eric J. (District of Columbia)
Hall, Benjamin L. (District of Columbia)
Hanania, Maher Hanna (District of Columbia)
Handley, Matthew K. (District of Columbia)
Handmaker, Sally M. (District of Columbia)
Harding, Ryan K. (District of Columbia)
Harper, Keith M. (District of Columbia)
HARRIS, DANIEL B. (District of Columbia)
HARVEY, CHARLES (District of Columbia)
Hearne, Mark Fernlund (District of Columbia)
Heideman, Richard D. (District of Columbia)
HEINS, SAMUEL D. (District of Columbia)
Hill, Brian Andrew (District of Columbia)
Hilliard, Robert (District of Columbia)
Hirsch, Sam (District of Columbia)
Holloway, James P. (District of Columbia)
Holmes, W. Clifton (District of Columbia)
Howell, Richard L. (District of Columbia)
Huerta, Alvaro M. (California)
Hwang, Alice C. (District of Columbia)
Jacob, John Robert (District of Columbia)
Jacob, Gregory Frederick (District of Columbia)
James, Juliene (District of Columbia)
James, Edgar N. (District of Columbia)
Jenkins, Floyd R. (District of Columbia)
Johnson, Oliver Thomas (District of Columbia)
Johnson, Nathaniel D. (District of Columbia)
JR., SAMUEL W. (District of Columbia)
JR., ROBERT NEAL (District of Columbia)
JR., FRANCIS J. (District of Columbia)
Kalik, Tracy Reichman (District of Columbia)
Kang, Stephen (District of Columbia)
Kaplan, Warren K. (District of Columbia)
Keaney, Melissa S. (California)
Kearney, Jesse L. (District of Columbia)
Khalil, Michael N. (District of Columbia)
Kirschner, Greg (District of Columbia)
Kisch, Lori B. (District of Columbia)
Klein, Suzanne Brooke (District of Columbia)
Knight, Jamie Elizabeth (District of Columbia)
KRISHER, LISA J (District of Columbia)
Kroeger, Leslie M. (District of Columbia)
Lack, Walter J. (District of Columbia)
LaSpada, Anthony J. (District of Columbia)
Lee, Susan C. (District of Columbia)
Leinbach, Brian J. (District of Columbia)
Leopold, Theodore J. (District of Columbia)
Levine, Aaron M. (District of Columbia)
Lewis, Wilma A. (District of Columbia)
LICHTEN, HAROLD L. (District of Columbia)
Lieberman, Michael Wyld (District of Columbia)
LISS-RIORDAN, SHANNON E. (District of Columbia)
Litzenburg, Timothy (District of Columbia)
Liu, Andy (District of Columbia)
LOTTO, LEAH (District of Columbia)
Ludwig, David (District of Columbia)
Lukas, Paul J (District of Columbia)
MacAllister, Edward B. (District of Columbia)
Madigan, Michael J. (District of Columbia)
MADIGAN, KRISTIN J. (District of Columbia)
MAIER, SHARON T. (District of Columbia)
Mairone, Gavriel (District of Columbia)
Malone, Patrick A. (District of Columbia)
Malson, Laurel Pyke (District of Columbia)
Malveaux, Suzette Marie (District of Columbia)
Marks, Andrew H. (District of Columbia)
Marks, Aaron Joseph (District of Columbia)
Martinez, Michael L. (District of Columbia)
Mason, Gary Edward (District of Columbia)
McBride, Kevin P. (District of Columbia)
McCoy, Melody L. (District of Columbia)
MCIVER, ROBERT G. (District of Columbia)
McKenzie, Jeremy S. (District of Columbia)
Mecit, Tuna (District of Columbia)
Meyer, J Andrew (District of Columbia)
Mikoni, Jeffrey Walter (District of Columbia)
Miller, Michael Joseph (District of Columbia)
MILLER, MARVIN A. (District of Columbia)
Moore, John Norton (District of Columbia)
Morrison, Alan B. (District of Columbia)
MORTON, DAWSON (District of Columbia)
Murphy, Justin P. (District of Columbia)
Murphy, James Emmet (District of Columbia)
MURRAY, PETER L. (District of Columbia)
Muse, Robert F. (District of Columbia)
Musolino, Philip M. (District of Columbia)
Myart, James W. (District of Columbia)
Nash, Lindsay (District of Columbia)
Newberger, Stuart H. (District of Columbia)
Newell, Jennifer Chang (California)
NEWMAN, THOMAS C. (District of Columbia)
Newquist, Brian J. (District of Columbia)
Nightingale, Zachary M. (California)
Norman, Jane Carol (District of Columbia)
Nudelman, Noel Jason (District of Columbia)
Nugent, Victoria S. (District of Columbia)
Onorato, Anthony A. (District of Columbia)
O'Toole, Timothy P. (District of Columbia)
Owens, Caragh Fay (District of Columbia)
Pagonis, Katrina A. (District of Columbia)
PALMER, ROBERT SCOTT (District of Columbia)
PEARSON, MATTHEW D. (District of Columbia)
Perles, Steven Robert (District of Columbia)
Pew, James S. (District of Columbia)
Phelan, Brian P. (District of Columbia)
Pires, Alexander John (District of Columbia)
PLAINTIFFS, ALL (District of Columbia)
Pogust, Harris L. (District of Columbia)
Postol, Lawrence P. (District of Columbia)
POTE, MARIA GRAESSER (District of Columbia)
Price, Matthew E. (District of Columbia)
PUMPIAN, RYAN TYLER (District of Columbia)
Rainey, Valencia R. (District of Columbia)
Razavi, Poorad (District of Columbia)
Read, Emily B. (District of Columbia)
Realmuto, Trina (Massachusetts)
Richardson, Abby Morrow (District of Columbia)
Romer-Friedman, Peter (District of Columbia)
Rosenthal, Daniel M. (District of Columbia)
Ross, Jim R. (District of Columbia)
Roth, Robert L. (District of Columbia)
Rothenberg, Allen Louis (District of Columbia)
Rubinstein, Reed D. (District of Columbia)
Rucker, Donna Williams (District of Columbia)
Sanchez, Maria Martinez (New Mexico)
Sanders, Henry (District of Columbia)
Sanders, Rose M. (District of Columbia)
Sanders, Kindaka J. (District of Columbia)
SAUL, LEWIS J. (District of Columbia)
Scherer, William R. (District of Columbia)
SCHLACHET, MARK (District of Columbia)
Schulcz, Arthur A. (District of Columbia)
SEAVER, TODD A. (District of Columbia)
Segroves, James F. (District of Columbia)
Segura, Andre (District of Columbia)
Sellers, Joseph M. (District of Columbia)
Shadowen, Steve D. (District of Columbia)
Shelley, Anthony F. (District of Columbia)
Sher, Neal M. (District of Columbia)
Silver, David C. (District of Columbia)
Sizemore, J. Paul (District of Columbia)
Skepnek, William J. (District of Columbia)
Slyne, Patrick K. (District of Columbia)
Smith, Alexandra Freedman (New Mexico)
Smith, David C. (District of Columbia)
Smith, James McCall (District of Columbia)
Smith, Paul March (District of Columbia)
SMOLIK, SARA (District of Columbia)
Sobol, Thomas Matthew (District of Columbia)
Solomon, Stephen D. (District of Columbia)
Spencer, Michael Champlin (District of Columbia)
Spitzer, Arthur (District of Columbia)
Strom, Joseph P. (District of Columbia)
Suttles, John T. (District of Columbia)
TABACCO, JOSEPH J. (District of Columbia)
Tabbara, Ivy Arai (District of Columbia)
Tenny, Daniel (District of Columbia)
Terrell, Stephen R. (District of Columbia)
Thompson, Richard Lloyd (District of Columbia)
Tompkins, Charles Edgar (District of Columbia)
Toups, Mitchell A. (District of Columbia)
Toure, Faya R. (District of Columbia)
Trachtenberg, Mark (District of Columbia)
Tsimpedes, Athan Theodore (District of Columbia)
TWOMEY, S. MELISA (District of Columbia)
Vail, John (District of Columbia)
Varma, Anurag (District of Columbia)
Vladeck, David C. (District of Columbia)
Vockrodt, Jeff (District of Columbia)
Vogel, Sarah M. (District of Columbia)
Ware, Charles Jerome (District of Columbia)
Webber, Christine E. (District of Columbia)
Weeks, Ann B. (District of Columbia)
Weiner, Matthew (District of Columbia)
Weinstein, Scott William (District of Columbia)
Werlin, Beth (District of Columbia)
Whatley, Joe R. (District of Columbia)
WHITE, ANN D. (District of Columbia)
Wichmann, William J. (District of Columbia)
Williams, John Matthew (District of Columbia)
Wills, Amy D. (District of Columbia)
Wolfe, Molly Hoffman (District of Columbia)
Adebonojo, Kenneth A. (District of Columbia)
Bagenstos, Samuel Robert (District of Columbia)
Baldwin, Anna M. (District of Columbia)
Beckenhauer, Eric B. (District of Columbia)
Bell-Platts, Meredith E.B. (District of Columbia)
Belsan, Timothy Michael (District of Columbia)
Berkower, Risa (District of Columbia)
Berman, Julia A. (District of Columbia)
Berman, Marcia (District of Columbia)
Berry, Bradford Mann (District of Columbia)
Berry, Britney (District of Columbia)
Bingham, Lauren Crowell (District of Columbia)
Borson, Joseph Evan (District of Columbia)
Borum, Marian L. (District of Columbia)
Bosshardt, Stacey (District of Columbia)
Braswell, Marina Utgoff (District of Columbia)
Burch, Alan R. (District of Columbia)
Campbell, Rhonda Lisa (District of Columbia)
Cartier, Nicholas P. (District of Columbia)
CHERICO, COLIN MICHAEL (District of Columbia)
Clark, Denise M. (District of Columbia)
Cohen, Jason Todd (District of Columbia)
Colangelo, Matthew (District of Columbia)
Coleman, John R. (District of Columbia)
Crane-Hirsch, Daniel Kadane (District of Columbia)
DARROW, JOSEPH ANTON (District of Columbia)
Dawgert, Jessica (District of Columbia)
Dearinger, Bryan Scott (District of Columbia)
Dellheim, Richard Alan (District of Columbia)
Diederich, Bryan Russell (District of Columbia)
Dworkowitz, Gregory Peter (District of Columbia)
Edney, Marsha Stelson (District of Columbia)
Enzinna, Paul F. (District of Columbia)
Fabian, Sarah B. (District of Columbia)
FARBY, LESLEY (District of Columbia)
Field, Brian J. (District of Columbia)
Fields, Rhonda C. (District of Columbia)
Fisher, Spencer R. (District of Columbia)
FISHMAN, DILLON A (District of Columbia)
Forney, Geoffrey (District of Columbia)
Francis, Tricia Dianne (District of Columbia)
Freeman, Daniel J. (District of Columbia)
Fresco, Leon (District of Columbia)
Gavoor, Aram A. (District of Columbia)
Gear, Bruce I. (District of Columbia)
Gershengorn, Ian Heath (District of Columbia)
Gilligan, James J. (District of Columbia)
Girdharry, Glenn M. (District of Columbia)
GIVHAN, ANNETTA FOSTER (District of Columbia)
Goldsmith, Aaron S. (District of Columbia)
Gomez, Abel (District of Columbia)
Graham-Oliver, Heather D. (District of Columbia)
Gray, Kathryne Marie (District of Columbia)
Guzman, Javier M. (District of Columbia)
Hammond, Derek S. (District of Columbia)
Haque, Sobia (District of Columbia)
Harris, Julie Straus (District of Columbia)
Hartnett, Kathleen Roberta (District of Columbia)
Heard, Bradley E. (District of Columbia)
Heffernan, Brian F. (District of Columbia)
Heiman, Julia Alexandra (District of Columbia)
Hudak, Brian P. (District of Columbia)
Humphreys, Bradley P. (District of Columbia)
Interrante, John G. (District of Columbia)
Johnson, Timothy Andrew (District of Columbia)
Johnson, Wyneva (District of Columbia)
Jones, Luke Matthew (District of Columbia)
Kaiser, Sophie (District of Columbia)
Kell, Gerald Cooper (District of Columbia)
Kelly, Genevieve McCarthy (District of Columbia)
Kelly, Wynne Patrick (District of Columbia)
Kidwell, Judith A. (District of Columbia)
Kirschner, Adam D. (District of Columbia)
Kishore, Deepthy (District of Columbia)
Kolsky, Joshua M. (District of Columbia)
Kurlan, Elizabeth D (District of Columbia)
Lee, Jennifer Joy (District of Columbia)
Lo, Michelle (District of Columbia)
Lyons, Jane M. (District of Columbia)
Maier, Peter Rolf (District of Columbia)
Maranzano, Jennifer Lynn (District of Columbia)
McBride, Patricia K. (District of Columbia)
McDaniel, Oliver W. (District of Columbia)
McFarland, Ernest Alan (District of Columbia)
McLeod, Michelle Andrea (District of Columbia)
Mead, Joseph Wilfred (District of Columbia)
Meza, Catherine (District of Columbia)
Michel, Olimpia E. (District of Columbia)
Momeni, Mercedeh (District of Columbia)
Nebeker, William Mark (District of Columbia)
Nobile, Thornton Russell (District of Columbia)
Olson, Lisa Ann (District of Columbia)
Patton, Rodney (District of Columbia)
Peterson, Benton Gregory (District of Columbia)
Pfaffenroth, Peter C. (District of Columbia)
Popper, Robert D. (District of Columbia)
Posner, Michael Benjamin (District of Columbia)
Press, Joshua Samuel (District of Columbia)
REUVENI, EREZ (District of Columbia)
Riedel, Durwood Heinrich (District of Columbia)
RIESS, DANIEL (District of Columbia)
Russ, John Albert (District of Columbia)
Russell, Beverly Maria (District of Columbia)
Rybicki, David Cotter (District of Columbia)
Sanford, David W. (District of Columbia)
Schaefer, Daniel Patrick (District of Columbia)
Schwartz, James J. (District of Columbia)
Schwei, Daniel Stephen (District of Columbia)
Seabrook, April Denise (District of Columbia)
Sells, Bryan L. (District of Columbia)
Shapiro, Avner Michael (District of Columbia)
Shore, Elise S. (District of Columbia)
Sitton, Janie Allison (District of Columbia)
Slade, Jared Michael (District of Columbia)
Sokolower, Heather G. (District of Columbia)
Stevens, Elizabeth Joanne (District of Columbia)
Stratton, Mary Elizabeth (District of Columbia)
Swinton, Nathan Michael (District of Columbia)
Taaffe, Damon William (District of Columbia)
TAYLOR, ANNE B. (District of Columbia)
Tepe, Sean Michael (District of Columbia)
Theis, John Kenneth (District of Columbia)
Thorp, Galen Nicholas (District of Columbia)
Tosini, Stephen C. (District of Columbia)
Truong, John Cuong (District of Columbia)
Tyler, John Russell (District of Columbia)
VASSALLO, KRISTIN LYNN (District of Columbia)
Velandy, Erin Marie (District of Columbia)
Vuong, Sarah Lake (District of Columbia)
Walker, Johnny Hillary (District of Columbia)
WALL, SHEETUL S (District of Columbia)
Weinstein, Laurie J. (District of Columbia)
Weinstein-Tull, Justin S. (District of Columbia)
Westfall, Elizabeth Stewart (District of Columbia)
Whitman, James R. (District of Columbia)
Wilson, Sarah S. (District of Columbia)
Womack, Eric R. (District of Columbia)
Wright, Steven Howard (District of Columbia)
Wyer, Kathryn L. (District of Columbia)
Yee, Marsha Wellknown (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4212978/mspc-v-johnson/
Last updated Feb. 5, 2025, 1:31 p.m.
State / Territory: District of Columbia
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Aug. 22, 2014
Closing Date: 2015
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Various Central American women and children fearing violence upon return to their respective countries seeking asylum in the United States.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
National Immigration Law Center
ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Department of Homeland Security, Federal
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal
Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal
Customs and Border Protection, Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101 et seq.
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Amount Defendant Pays: 0
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Affected National Origin/Ethnicity(s):
Affected Sex/Gender(s):
Immigration/Border: