The Constitutional Court of South Africa has made a significant ruling regarding asylum procedures, effectively prohibiting foreigners from submitting repeated asylum applications once their initial request has been denied. This decision came as a result of the case Director of Home Affairs and Others v Irankunda and Niyonkuru, involving two citizens from Burundi. The pair,…
John Quinn, the founder of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, has stepped down from his leadership role at the firm. In an email to partners on Mother’s Day morning, Quinn announced his resignation from the executive committee, describing the decision as “logical” and noting that he “didn’t really think about what day of the week…
In a recent legal confrontation, a former immigration judge has petitioned a D.C. federal court to maintain her bias lawsuit concerning her dismissal, in which she asserts that the Department of Justice is advocating a startling notion: that the president has the authority to perform unlawful discrimination. Her case underscores a significant tension between presidential…
President Donald Trump has announced six judicial nominees, a move that includes controversial selections requiring bipartisan support. Among the nominees are judges for both the Eighth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals, as well as district court candidates who will need cooperation from Democratic senators to advance. This development comes as the administration continues to…
The lead assistant federal prosecutor for Rhode Island’s civil division is currently being scrutinized following allegations of withholding crucial information in an immigration case. This investigation was initiated by the state’s chief federal judge, highlighting possible ethical breaches within the prosecutorial ranks. More information on this development can be found on Law360. This inquiry underscores…
This week’s edition of Law360’s Legal Lions features the National Immigrant Justice Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, which secured a significant victory in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A divided panel dismissed the argument from the Trump administration that immigrants residing unlawfully in the United States are not entitled to due process…
In an unusual decision highlighting potential issues within the Department of Justice, a federal judge has appointed a special counsel to investigate a DOJ lawyer’s actions in a case concerning migrant families. The case revolves around allegations of the government’s mishandling of separated families at the U.S.-Mexico border. This move by the judiciary underscores the…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, focusing on allegations that his office provided preferential treatment to undocumented immigrants in criminal cases. The probe aims to determine whether such practices resulted in discrimination against U.S. citizens. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated,…
In a contentious legal battle, four protesters have initiated a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over the collection and permanent storage of DNA samples during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The complaint, filed in an Illinois district court, seeks an injunction to halt…
The Trump administration’s approach to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) case, currently before the Supreme Court, embodies a significant executive power grab over immigration policy—a familiar scenario in U.S. legal history. The administration contends that Congress has authorized the executive branch to control TPS decisions without judicial review, according to the legal fight that is…
Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah C. Dugan remains unable to overturn her obstruction conviction involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, despite a recent ruling by the Fourth Circuit, according to federal prosecutors. The government emphasized that the Fourth Circuit’s decision, though relevant, does not carry binding authority over Dugan’s case. This underscores the intricate…
Recently, the 4th Circuit Court expressed doubt regarding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) revised policy on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at places of worship. DHS had previously instructed agents to avoid enforcement at religious sites “to the fullest extent possible.” However, the updated guidance now encourages officers to apply discretion and…
In the complex landscape of the current U.S. Supreme Court, legal analysts often find themselves navigating intricate dynamics among the nine justices. While some observers, like Sarah Isgur in her recent best-selling book, describe this composition as a “3-3-3 court,” Rory Little provides a more nuanced perspective in his latest column. Little argues for a…
A federal judge in Rhode Island has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Bolan, citing a “lack of candor” for failing to disclose a foreign homicide warrant during a detainee’s release hearing. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose released Bryan Rafael Gomez, a Dominican national, after a habeas corpus petition. Unbeknownst to her,…
The Trump administration executed a series of deportation deals known as third-country transfer agreements, facilitating the transfer of over 17,400 individuals to more than 30 countries. These transfers often occurred in defiance of federal court orders and despite successful habeas corpus petitions by the affected individuals, as highlighted by information from Human Rights First and…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing legal scrutiny after attempting to leverage a 1930s customs law to access data from Google concerning a Canadian citizen. This individual had reportedly criticized the Trump administration’s response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents earlier this year in Minneapolis, according…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) faces scrutiny over its handling of a pivotal immigration legal aid initiative. A year after announcing plans to transition a program traditionally run by nonprofits into a federal in-house operation, critics lament the apparent neglect of this commitment. Despite initial declarations, there are no visible measures taken to implement the…
A recent courtroom confrontation in Rhode Island has highlighted issues surrounding transparency and disclosure in federal immigration cases. According to details from Law360, a federal judge sharply questioned an assistant U.S. attorney over the nondisclosure of a homicide warrant for a noncitizen detainee. The judge’s inquiry followed allegations by the Department of Homeland Security that…
In a session that has garnered attention from legal professionals across the United States, the highest court in Massachusetts expressed clear unease over the actions of a state district court judge in connection with an incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The justice’s concerns revolve around a 2018 offer from the judge to…
In a decision that has attracted considerable legal attention, a Minnesota federal magistrate judge has elected not to obstruct the authorization of a military attorney to prosecute a civilian accused of assaulting federal immigration officers. This ruling is raising eyebrows, particularly because it contravenes binding regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Defense. The…
A federal judge has intervened to block the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate temporary deportation protections for nearly 3,000 Yemeni nationals residing in the United States. US District Judge Dale Ho, presiding in the Southern District of New York, issued his decision favoring Yemeni plaintiffs challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over plans to…
On April 15, an unusual statement from the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office was released, where Justice Sonia Sotomayor apologized for her “inappropriate” and “hurtful” remarks about Justice Brett Kavanaugh. This apology was related to comments she made about Kavanaugh’s concurrence in Noem v. Perdomo, where she insinuated that Kavanaugh’s privileged background influenced his perspective…
The Nebraska College of Law has announced the closure of its immigration clinic, citing staffing challenges as the primary reason for this decision. This move signals a significant development in the landscape of legal education, particularly in the realm of immigration law, where hands-on experiences are crucial for students aiming to enter the field. The…
In a recent decision, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. denied a request from a Minnesota-based human rights group to halt the practice of conducting closed immigration hearings. The organization sought to prevent immigration judges from limiting public and media access, arguing that this practice infringes on transparency and the public’s right to information. However,…
The recent revelations from the shadow docket memos offer a glimpse into how the Supreme Court has been interpreting legal arguments without full briefing and oral arguments. A significant focus of these memos has been the varied reliance on statements from government officials in determining case outcomes. The shadow docket, a term that describes the…