The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP) is excited to launch a new pro bono initiative to increase representation of detained noncitizens before the Arizona Federal District Court. We are seeking experienced district court litigators to join our efforts to increase representation of detained asylum seekers and children before the Arizona District Courts.
To this end, we are inviting you to attend a CLE on advocating for non-citizens in federal court actions on October 2, 2019 from 5:30-7:30pm.
Howard Cabot, Partner at Perkins Coie;
Mary Kenney, Directing Attorney for Litigation at the American Immigration Council;
Matthew Green, Partner at Green Evans-Schroeder
Katharine Ruhl, Pro-Bono Mentor at the Florence Project;
Laura Belous, Advocacy Attorney at the Florence Project
We are being hosted by Osborn Maledon, at 2929 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
A quick note on the need:
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued Jennings v. Rodriguez, a case which overturned a body of Ninth Circuit case law granting the right to a bond hearing every six months for the majority of those detained by ICE and subject to mandatory detention. Since then we have seen asylum seekers and many others languish for years, or give up their cases entirely, rather than suffer prolonged detention. Importantly, the Ninth Circuit did not find the mandatory detention statutes constitutional - they remanded that issue for the Ninth Circuit to address in the first instance. Since then, case law has developed in District Courts throughout the country finding prolonged detention without a bond hearing unconstitutional, and ordering bond or release in individualized cases. The Arizona Districts Courts have yet to address this issue head on. The issue is ripe. The facts are compelling. The clients are ready. This is where we need you.
At the same time, the Florence Project has begun to litigate habeas actions challenging unlawful detention. We have seen, for example, unaccompanied children having their ages inappropriately redetermined based on faulty dental exams, landing them in adult detention. The Florence Project and its pro-bono partners have successfully litigated four habeas actions challenging this practice, and we anticipate more.
In addition to prolonged and unlawful detention, immigrants are increasingly turning to District Courts when the agencies charged with adjudicating their claims fail to do so in a timely manner. We are seeking attorneys who are willing and able to handle mandamus actions for unaccompanied minors whose relief and liberty depends on timely adjudication of their applications.
The CLE will cover:
· Background on legal authority to detain non-citizens and the basics of removal proceedings;
· Challenges to prolonged or illegal detention through habeas petitions;
· Mandamus actions to force decisions on visa applications for abused, abandoned, or neglected children; and
· Federal Tort Claims Act suits based on illegal conduct by immigration authorities.
Please come and join us to bring your experience as a litigator in federal court to this new and exciting project!