Judge blocks Massachusetts ICE courthouse arrests of undocumented immigrants

In a case brought by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani today issued a Preliminary Injunction stopping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “from civilly arresting parties, witnesses, and others attending Massachusetts courthouses on official business while they are going to, attending, or leaving the courthouse.”

LCR was very pleased with the decision.

“Today’s order represents a huge victory for the rule of law, against the overreaching anti-immigrant policies of the Trump Administration. As LCR and our allies have consistently demonstrated, ICE’s immigration enforcement in and around courthouses undermines our system of justice, by chilling victims and witnesses from seeking redress in our courts.”

“We are gratified by today’s ruling, and look forward to continuing to protect the rights of immigrant communities through creative and courageous legal action.”

The judges ruling states as follows:

“The court credits Defendants’ safety concerns, as well as the public’s need to be protected from dangerous criminal aliens. But Defendants’ attempt to justify civil courthouse arrests on these grounds, and on the fact that Massachusetts courts do not recognize civil detainers, and that Federal, state and local law enforcement activity concerning criminal matters “routinely” occurs in courthouses, ignores a critical distinction regarding the challenged arrests.”

“Having found that Plaintiffs have standing to bring this suit, and that they have demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of Count 1 of their Complaint, that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in Plaintiffs’ favor, and that an injunction is in the public interest, the court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Motion for a Preliminary Injunction.”

The decision: