Filed Date: Feb. 1, 2017
Closed Date: June 1, 2017
Clearinghouse coding complete
On February 1, 2017, a J-1 visa holder filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, after being prevented from boarding a flight from Frankfurt to Boston on both January 28 and 30, 2017. Represented by private counsel, the plaintiff was Iranian-born and a resident of Switzerland; she was traveling to Boston to begin working at Brigham & Women's hospital as a researcher and expert on state-of-the-art genetic sequencing technologies focusing on pediatric susceptibility to infection.
The complaint alleged that on January 28, 2017, a gate operator at the Frankfurt airport, who introduced himself as a representative from the consulate of the United States, told the plaintiff that she was ineligible to board a flight to the United States pursuant to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2017 (EO-1, suspending entry into the United States of nationals of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen). The complaint further alleged that when the plaintiff returned to the Frankfurt airport on January 31, with a copy of the January 29 Temporary Restraining Order issued in Loughalam v. Trump,
providing immediate protection to "holders of valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas . . . who, absent the Executive Order, would be legally authorized to enter the United States," the plaintiff was once again prevented from boarding her flight to Boston, despite being subject to the TRO's protection as a valid J-1 visa holder.
The plaintiff claimed that her continued bar to entry based solely on EO-1, that was enforced against her contrary to nationwide federal court stays, stood in violation of the defendants' duties owed to her and to all persons similarly protected by the TRO. The plaintiff sought declaratory and injunctive relief. President Trump, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Acting Commissioner of the Customs and Border Patrol Division of DHS were named as defendants.
On February 2, 2017 the plaintiff filed an emergency motion seeking a Temporary Restraining Order against the defendants, but the next day, the plaintiff requested that the hearing on the TRO be cancelled, as she was able to travel to the United States and clear customs.
On March 6, 2017, prompted by developments in the Washington v. Trump litigation, in the Ninth Circuit, the President rescinded the January 27 Executive Order and replaced it with a narrower one, Executive Order 13780 (EO-2).
In light of the revised EO-2, on March 31, the parties requested that the court stay the proceedings and postpone the defendants' deadline to answer, for sixty days until June 5, 2017. This would allow the parties enough time to monitor ongoing litigation before deciding how to proceed. District Judge Burroughs granted this request for a stay the same day.
On May 31, the plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice, citing the Fourth Circuit's injunction of EO-2 in IRAP v. Trump. The court closed the case on June 1, 2017.
Summary Authors
Julie Aust (2/6/2017)
Virginia Weeks (2/8/2017)
Ava Morgenstern (6/13/2017)
Esteban Woo Kee (10/23/2021)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4580022/parties/asgari-v-trump/
Adams, Randall R (Massachusetts)
Attorney, OIL-DCS Trial (Massachusetts)
Bachi, Daniel M. (Massachusetts)
Balaban, Rachel G. (Massachusetts)
Balderrama, Monica (Massachusetts)
Burroughs, Allison Dale (Massachusetts)
Gertner, Nancy (Massachusetts)
Gorton, Nathaniel M. (Massachusetts)
Harrington, Edward Francis (Massachusetts)
Lasker, Morris Edward (Massachusetts)
Lindsay, Reginald C. (Massachusetts)
O'Toole, George A. Jr. (Massachusetts)
Ponsor, Michael Adrian (Massachusetts)
Saris, Patti B. (Massachusetts)
Saylor, F. Dennis IV (Massachusetts)
Stearns, Richard Gaylore (Massachusetts)
Tauro, Joseph Louis (Massachusetts)
Wolf, Mark Lawrence (Massachusetts)
Woodlock, Douglas Preston (Massachusetts)
Adams, Randall R (Massachusetts)
Attorney, OIL-DCS Trial (Massachusetts)
Bachi, Daniel M. (Massachusetts)
Balaban, Rachel G. (Massachusetts)
Balderrama, Monica (Massachusetts)
Barghaan, Dennis Carl (Massachusetts)
Bell, Charles Herbert (Massachusetts)
Belsan, Timothy Michael (Massachusetts)
Bennett, Michelle R. (Massachusetts)
Bensing, Daniel E (Massachusetts)
Berin, Alec Jacob (Massachusetts)
Berman, Steve W. (Massachusetts)
Borrello, Robert John (Massachusetts)
Bowen, Brigham J. (Massachusetts)
Braga, Victoria (Massachusetts)
Brinkman, Andrew C (Massachusetts)
Brody, Michael Timothy (Massachusetts)
Buchanan, Michael F. (Massachusetts)
Carilli, Joseph F. (Massachusetts)
Cecchi, James E. (Massachusetts)
Chan, Priscilla To-Yin (Massachusetts)
Cheng, David L (Massachusetts)
Chicago, AUSA - (Massachusetts)
Darrow, Joseph A. (Massachusetts)
Davila, Yamileth G (Massachusetts)
Davis, Kathryn C (Massachusetts)
Dibble, Francis D. (Massachusetts)
Dugan, Joseph C (Massachusetts)
Evans, Walter Manning (Massachusetts)
Faulman, Sara Lyn (Massachusetts)
Fernandes, David Brian (Massachusetts)
Flentje, August (Massachusetts)
Flowers, Jodi Westbrook (Massachusetts)
Folinsky, Marni Beth (Massachusetts)
Foster, Jennifer M (Massachusetts)
Fuchs, Siegmund F. (Massachusetts)
Fuentes, Raymond J (Massachusetts)
Gannon, Catherine (Massachusetts)
George, Scott Alan (Massachusetts)
Gerardi, Michael J (Massachusetts)
Goldsmith, Aaron S. (Massachusetts)
Gov, Douglas T. (Massachusetts)
Gov, Krissy C. (Massachusetts)
Grant, Nicole Patrice (Massachusetts)
Habeas, US Attorney (Massachusetts)
Haefele, Robert Turner (Massachusetts)
Halaska, Alexander James (Massachusetts)
Hansen, Daniel John (Massachusetts)
Hayes, Steven M. (Massachusetts)
Henson-DOJ, Angie L (Massachusetts)
Hodel, Matthew A (Massachusetts)
Hollis, Christopher W. (Massachusetts)
Hummel, Jordan Kelsey (Massachusetts)
IV., John Baptist (Massachusetts)
Jafek, Timothy Bart (Massachusetts)
Jassy, Jean-Paul (Massachusetts)
Jentzer, Lyle D (Massachusetts)
Julius, Derek C. (Massachusetts)
Kade, Elizabeth L (Massachusetts)
Kahramanian, Lala (Massachusetts)
Kanter, Ethan B (Massachusetts)
Kelly, Philip M (Massachusetts)
Kelly, Genevieve M. (Massachusetts)
Kimball, Kimere J (Massachusetts)
Kipnis, Brian C (Massachusetts)
Konkoly, Antonia (Massachusetts)
Kopplin, Rebecca M. (Massachusetts)
Krahulik, Robert Emil (Massachusetts)
LA-CV, Assistant 2241-194 (Massachusetts)
Leathers, Daniel R. (Massachusetts)
LeBoff, Michael S. (Massachusetts)
Lichten, Stuart Lloyd (Massachusetts)
Lonegan, Bryan (Massachusetts)
Marenberg, Steven A (Massachusetts)
McAleenan, Kevin K. (Massachusetts)
McGillivary, Gregory Keith (Massachusetts)
Menkin, Jeffrey L (Massachusetts)
Moore, Brendan T (Massachusetts)
Murley, Nicole N. (Massachusetts)
Murphy, Lindsay M. (Massachusetts)
Nazarov, Ari (District of Columbia)
Nelson, Jeffrey E. (Massachusetts)
Nuez, Nelsy De (Massachusetts)
Oswald, Craig Arthur (Massachusetts)
Parker, Ryan Bradley (Massachusetts)
Peoples, Tashiba Monique (Massachusetts)
Petty, Aaron R (Massachusetts)
Pifko, Mark Philip (Massachusetts)
Poindexter, Jeffrey E. (Massachusetts)
Pratt, Sherease Rosalyn (Massachusetts)
Press, Joshua S. (Massachusetts)
Readler, Chad A. (Massachusetts)
Rivera, Carlos Francisco (Massachusetts)
Robertson, Katherine A. (Massachusetts)
Robins, Jeffrey S (Massachusetts)
Rollins, Thomas G. (Massachusetts)
Russomanno, Herman Joseph (Massachusetts)
Sady, Michael P. (Massachusetts)
Scarlett, Shana E. (Massachusetts)
Schmedlin, William Francis (Massachusetts)
Schuessler, Danielle K (Massachusetts)
Schulman, Brian J. (Massachusetts)
Schwei, Daniel Stephen (Massachusetts)
Secord, Erin M (Massachusetts)
Seeger, Christopher A. (Massachusetts)
Shah, James C. (Massachusetts)
Shinners, Katherine J. (Massachusetts)
Shwayri, Andrea (Massachusetts)
Singh, Rukhsanah L. (Massachusetts)
Slack, Michelle R (Massachusetts)
Smith, Shelley (Massachusetts)
Steinsapir, Jonathan P (Massachusetts)
Taranto, Leon B (Massachusetts)
Taylor, Lindsey H. (Massachusetts)
Tellis, Roland K. (Massachusetts)
Toennies, Andrew G. (Massachusetts)
Walsh, E. Jeffrey (Massachusetts)
Ward, Brian Christopher (Massachusetts)
Weinstein, Fred David (Massachusetts)
Weiss, Stephen A. (Massachusetts)
Westwater, Gisela (Massachusetts)
Wetzler, Lauren A. (Massachusetts)
White, Edward S. (Massachusetts)
Whitman, Steven R. (Massachusetts)
Wyer, Kathryn L (Massachusetts)
Young, Stacey I (Massachusetts)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4580022/asgari-v-trump/
Last updated April 9, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
State / Territory: Massachusetts
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 1.0: Travel Ban Challenges
Trump 1.0 & 2.0 Immigration Enforcement Order Challenges
Trump Administration 1.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 1, 2017
Closing Date: June 1, 2017
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
An Iranian-born and Switzerland-based scientist, granted a J-1 visa, but denied entry following the January 27, 2017 Executive Order. The successfully plaintiff entered the US on February 3, 2017, and cancelled a scheduled emergency hearing for mandamus but proceeded with a civil suit.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Office of the President of the United States (Washington D.C.), Federal
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Washington D.C. ), Federal
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (Washington D.C.), Federal
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Basis:
National origin discrimination
Affected National Origin/Ethnicity(s):
Immigration/Border: