Filed Date: July 7, 1985
Closed Date: May 24, 1999
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 7, 1985, religious and refugee service organizations and two individual undocumented aliens brought a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against various government officials, including the United States Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, challenging prosecutions for harboring undocumented aliens. Plaintiffs contended that the defendants' application of immigration laws violated the First Amendment and equal protection. The Plaintiffs sought injunctive relief.
Defendants moved to dismiss the case.
In March of 1987, the District Court (Chief Judge Peckham) granted in part and denied in part defendants' motion to dismiss. The Court held that: (1) religious organizations had standing to allege that prosecution of religious sanctuary workers under criminal harboring and transporting statute violated First Amendment; (2) religious organizations' complaint that prosecution of religious sanctuary workers violated First Amendment stated cause of action; and (3) Central American refugee service organizations lacked standing to assert violation of Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugee's right to temporary refugee or discriminatory application of immigration laws. American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh 666 F.Supp. 1358 (N.D. Cal. 1987). An amended memorandum and opinion was later issued. American Baptist Churches v. Meese, 712 F.Supp. 756 (N.D. Cal. 1989).
It is unclear from the docket what transpired from 1989 to 1990, but the case eventually settled. The District Court approved the settlement in January 1991. The Settlement Agreement defined a class of Salvadorans and Guatemalans who would be afforded de novo, unappealable asylum adjudication proceedings, which included a dispute resolution mechanism. American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh, 760 F.Supp. 796)(N.D. Cal. 1991).
The PACER docket is incomplete, but it appears that post settlment activity continued through June 1999, when the Settlement Agreement was modified. No further activity is noted.
Summary Authors
Miles Chan (8/3/2007)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/9232736/parties/american-baptist-chu-v-meese/
Blum, Carolyn P. (California)
Coliver, Sandra (California)
Bombaugh, Robert L. (District of Columbia)
Dornell, Lisa (District of Columbia)
Deale, Frank E. (New York)
Legge, Charles A. (California)
Peckham, Robert Francis (California)
Bombaugh, Robert L. (District of Columbia)
Dornell, Lisa (District of Columbia)
Gerson, Stuart M. (District of Columbia)
Isgro, Francesco (District of Columbia)
McGiven, William T. Jr. (California)
Mueller, Robert S. III (California)
Ogden, David W. (District of Columbia)
Russoniello, Joseph R. (California)
Schirle, Stephen L. (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/9232736/american-baptist-chu-v-meese/
Last updated March 25, 2024, 2:52 p.m.
State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 7, 1985
Closing Date: May 24, 1999
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Religious and refugee service organizations who challenged prosecutions for harboring aliens, including Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Immigration and Naturalization Service,, Federal
United States Attorney General, Federal
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Ex Parte Young (Federal) or Bivens
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101 et seq.
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Issues
General:
Immigration/Border: