Filed Date: Sept. 28, 2017
Closed Date: Feb. 15, 2018
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This case arose from a Syrian family's attempts to obtain immigration visas. In 2004, one of the family members filed a petition for an immigrant visa on behalf of her sister and her sister’s family. In 2017, the State Department approved the visas just as President Trump issued Executive Order 13780 (EO-2), which barred Syrian nationals from entering the United States. Following President Trump’s order, a series of legal challenges ensued, some of them ultimately making their way to the Supreme Court. In June 2017, the Supreme Court in International Refugee Assistance Program v. Trump partially lifted a nationwide injunction against the ban, permitting the government to apply it against anyone who did not have a “bona-fide” relationship with a person or organization in the United States. 137 S. Ct. 2080.
On September 28, 2017, the plaintiffs filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They alleged that, despite having a bona-fide relationship to a person in the United States, the State Department had failed to issue visas to members of their family seeking to immigrate to the United States. In their complaint, plaintiffs argued that defendants (the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the State Department) wrongly applied EO-2 to them and sought a writ of mandamus compelling defendants to issue their visas under 28 U.S.C. § 1361. Plaintiffs also sought injunctive relief under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. § 706) and declaratory relief. Two private law firms and Muslim Advocates represented the plaintiffs. Judge Royce C. Lamberth was assigned to the case.
On November 27, 2017, the parties filed a joint motion to stay proceedings for ninety days. In their motion, the parties suggested to the court that they may be able to resolve the case without further litigation. During the stay, the plaintiffs agreed to take any necessary steps to obtain their visas, and defendants agreed to expedite plaintiffs' visa requests. On December 20, Judge Lamberth granted the motion to stay.
On February 15, 2018, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case, which is now closed.
Summary Authors
Jamie Kessler (3/3/2018)
Peter Harding (2/6/2020)
Lamberth, Royce C. (District of Columbia)
Crawley, Megan A. (District of Columbia)
Crowley, Megan Anne (District of Columbia)
Dougherty, Jon-Michael (District of Columbia)
Haley, Kyle P. (District of Columbia)
Khalil, Maha (Texas)
Lynch, Mark H. (District of Columbia)
Shebaya, Sirine (District of Columbia)
Smith, Rebecca E. (District of Columbia)
Adebonojo, Kenneth (District of Columbia)
Lamberth, Royce C. (District of Columbia)
Crawley, Megan A. (District of Columbia)
Crowley, Megan Anne (District of Columbia)
Dougherty, Jon-Michael (District of Columbia)
Haley, Kyle P. (District of Columbia)
Khalil, Maha (Texas)
Lynch, Mark H. (District of Columbia)
Shebaya, Sirine (District of Columbia)
Smith, Rebecca E. (District of Columbia)
Adebonojo, Kenneth (District of Columbia)
Liu, Jessie K. (District of Columbia)
Van Horn, Daniel F (District of Columbia)
Last updated March 9, 2023, 3:09 a.m.
State / Territory: District of Columbia
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 28, 2017
Closing Date: Feb. 15, 2018
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Members of a Syrian family, some of whom were waiting for the State Department to issue their visas after the visas were approved.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal
U.S. Department of State, Federal
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Issues
General:
Immigration/Border: