Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder is a class action lawsuit in the Central District of California brought on behalf of immigration detainees with mental disabilities in Arizona, California, and Washington.
A federal district judge has ordered the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Attorney General, and the Executive Office of Immigration Review to provide legal representation to immigrant detainees with mental disabilities who are facing deportation and who are unable to adequately represent themselves in immigration hearings. The ruling in the class-action lawsuit is the first of its kind for immigrant detainees, who often languish in detention facilities for years without legal representation.