NIPNLG Responds to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

The rapid advancement of the global COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency and presents a fatal threat to incarcerated people. Thousands of immigrants are held in the patchwork of detention facilities in the United States, which is comprised of federal immigrant detention facilities, private detention facilities, and local jails and prisons contracted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hold immigrant detainees.

NIPNLG has published practice advisories and brought multiple federal lawsuits to address this on-going crisis. All COVID-19 related cases and practice advisories are listed below. We will continue to update these materials and guidance as needed.

This material is up to date as of October 29, 2020.

Our Litigation

• Ache v. Witte (October 9, 2020)
  Habeas Petition and Complaint on Behalf of Medically-Vulnerable People in Immigration Detention in Louisiana
• Gonzalez Morales v. Gillis (September 16, 2020)
  Filed on Behalf of Four Medically Vulnerable Immigrants detained in Mississippi
• ICA-Farmville in Virginia: Santos Garcia et al v. Wolf et al
  • Judge Orders ICE to Stop all Transfers into Farmville (Aug. 11, 2020)
  • Mourning the Death of James Hill from COVID (Aug. 7, 2020)
  • Detained Immigrants Sue as Over 80% of Facility Tests Positive (Jul. 21, 2020)
• Williams v. Horton (April 29, 2020)
  Medically Vulnerable Immigrants Seek Emergency Release From ICE Detention in AL
• Archilla v. Witte (April 29, 2020)
  Medically Vulnerable Immigrants Seek Emergency Release From ICE Detention in Alabama
• Alvarez v. La Rose (April 26, 2020)
  Suit Filed to Drastically Reduce Number of People in U.S. Marshals’ Custody at Otay Mesa Detention Center
• Codner v. Choate (April 22, 2020)
  Medically-Vulnerable Immigrants Detained by ICE in Aurora, Colorado Seek Immediate Release Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
• Tamayo Espinoza v. Witte (April 16, 2020)
  Medically Vulnerable Immigrants in “Notorious” Mississippi ICE Facility File Emergency Petition for Release
• Dada v. Witte (April 14, 2020)
  Medically Vulnerable Immigrants Detained by ICE in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana Seek Release Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak
• Toure v. Hott (April 14, 2020)
  Immigration Groups Suing ICE Demanding Immediate Release of Individuals Detained in Virginia Who are Most at Risk of COVID-19
• National Immigration Project et al. v. EOIR et al. (April 8, 2020)
  Lawsuit Seeks Halt to Dangerous and Unconstitutional Policies Endangering Immigration Attorneys, Clients, and the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Coreas v. Bounds: COVID 19 - Habeas (March 24, 2020)
  Lawsuit Seeks Halt to Dangerous and Unconstitutional Policies Endangering Immigration Attorneys, Clients, and the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Practice Advisories

• Practice Advisory: Advocating for the Release of Detained Immigrants Based on the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix A: Sample humanitarian parole request to ICE » (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix B: Motion for bond and custody determination » (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix C: Motion for bond and custody redetermination » (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix D: Redacted habeas petition submitted in the Southern District of New York » (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix E: Habeas petition in Dawson v. Asher » (March 21, 2020)
  • Appendix F: Public health expert declaration on dangers of COVID-19 spread in immigration detention (with expert CV) » (March 21, 2020)
  • Download practice advisory and all appendices » (March 21, 2020)
  • Additional Sample: Habeas SDNY » (March 23 2020)
• Practice Alert: Coronavirus Asylum Claims Based on “Other Serious Harm” (April 6, 2020)