Filed Date: March 13, 2014
Closed Date: 2015
Clearinghouse coding complete
On March 13, 2014, a non-profit law firm advocating for the rights of immigrants, Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice), filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The case was assigned to Judge Kathleen Williams. AI Justice sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). After interviewing immigrant detainees who reported having been kept in cold, overcrowded holding cells for days on end, AI Justice had filed a FOIA request in March 2013, asking the defendants to provide documents regarding their temporary holding policies and the conditions in the temporary holding cells in the Rio Grande Valley sector. The defendants had not responded to the request within the applicable time period and still had not responded a year later. AI Justice sought declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney’s fees.
The defendants completed their initial document search and issued a response to the plaintiff’s FOIA request on March 9, 2015. The defendants produced responsive documents to some but not all parts of the plaintiff’s request. Pursuant to FOIA exemptions, the defendants redacted portions of the documents that contained personal information or information used by law enforcement. Unsatisfied, AI Justice argued that the defendants’ search was inadequately thorough and the FOIA exemptions were inappropriate.
The parties conferred and began collaborating to resolve the issues between them. These conferences lasted for several months and took place entirely without intervention of the court. The parties sought to postpone their trial date several times while they attempted to reach a settlement.
On August 26, 2015, the parties jointly moved to remove this case from the trial calendar, as they had resolved all of their disputes regarding the FOIA request and now only disagreed on whether the plaintiff should receive attorney’s fees. Five days later, the court granted the parties’ motion and requested that they file a stipulation of mootness. The parties resolved their dispute regarding attorney’s fees before filing that stipulation of mootness on September 8, 2015. The defendants agreed to pay the plaintiff $8,750.00. The next day, Judge Williams dismissed the case.
This case presumably closed in September 2015. Nothing else appears on the docket after the case’s dismissal.
Summary Authors
Rebecca Strauss (6/4/2018)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13228920/parties/americans-for-immigrant-justice-v-united-states-customs-and-border/
Williams, Kathleen Mary (Florida)
Santos-Bourne, Jennie (Florida)
Raurell, Carlos Javier (Florida)
Anderson, Joseph (Florida)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13228920/americans-for-immigrant-justice-v-united-states-customs-and-border/
Last updated Dec. 17, 2024, 11:02 a.m.
State / Territory: Florida
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 13, 2014
Closing Date: 2015
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Americans for Immigrant Justice
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Attorney Organizations:
Americans for Immigrant Justice (previously FIAC)
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
United States of America, Federal
United States of America, Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Content of Injunction:
Amount Defendant Pays: $8,750.00
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Basis:
Immigration/Border:
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions: