The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against a Los Angeles woman, Sandra Muñoz, who claimed her constitutional rights were violated when her Salvadoran husband's visa was denied due to alleged gang affiliations. The ruling, led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, determined that U.S. citizens do not have a constitutional right to bring their noncitizen spouses into the country. The decision is seen as a significant setback for Americans with foreign spouses and could complicate future litigation for families in similar situations.
A company providing services for immigrants in federal detention has been ordered to pay over $811 million in restitution and penalties in a lawsuit alleging deceptive and abusive tactics. The company, Nexus Services, and its subsidiary Libre by Nexus, were accused of exploiting vulnerable immigrants and their families by concealing and misrepresenting the true nature and costs of its services, collecting excessive fees, and forcing immigrants to wear painful ankle monitors. The judgment, which includes restitution and penalties to New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts, was a result of a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Nexus Services intends to appeal the judgment, calling it a "shocking departure from normal American jurisprudence."
A Virginia bond company, Libre by Nexus, has been ordered to pay over $800 million in restitution and penalties for defrauding immigrants facing deportation, including coercing Spanish-speaking clients to sign English contracts and charging exorbitant fees for GPS ankle monitors. The company threatened legal action against non-paying clients and now faces a massive judgment, potentially leading to bankruptcy. The ruling, criticized by Libre's CEO, comes after investigations revealed exploitative practices, and the company is now barred from requiring clients to wear GPS monitors.
A federal judge has ruled that lawyers representing migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can sue the charter flight company that transported them, allowing the migrants to proceed with their lawsuit against Florida-based Vertol Systems Co. The court found that the company and other defendants specifically targeted the migrants because they were Latinx immigrants. The ruling dismissed the state defendants but allowed the lawsuit to proceed, signaling a victory for the migrants' rights and holding private companies accountable for assisting in what was characterized as illegal and fraudulent schemes.
A federal appeals court has upheld the block on Texas' SB4 immigration law, preventing the state from arresting and jailing migrants under the contentious measure while it considers its legality. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Texas' request to suspend the lower court order that found SB4 unconstitutional and in conflict with federal immigration laws, and will hold a hearing on April 3 to further consider the law's lawfulness and constitutionality. The law, which criminalizes unauthorized immigration at the state level, has drawn criticism from migrant advocates, the Biden administration, and the Mexican government, with the latter denouncing it as "anti-immigrant" and vowing to reject migrants returned by the state.
A federal appeals court has put Texas' controversial immigration law, Senate Bill 4, back on hold, overturning a previous ruling that had allowed the law to go into effect. The law, which would permit state officials to arrest and detain individuals suspected of entering the country illegally, has been the subject of legal battles and concerns over racial profiling and increased state authority in immigration enforcement. The Supreme Court had earlier cleared the way for the law to be enforced temporarily, but the legal jockeying continues as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments on whether to block the law while considering its constitutionality.
A state judge in El Paso has blocked Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempts to investigate the Annunciation House migrant shelter, questioning the state's intentions behind demanding documents from the organization and suggesting political motivations. The judge ruled that Paxton’s office must go through the state’s court system if it wants to investigate the nonprofit. Paxton’s office had sought records from the shelter, accusing it of human smuggling and operating an illegal stash house, but the judge criticized the attorney general's office for being rude and unprofessional and expressed concern about ulterior political motives. The nonprofit, which has been providing humanitarian and social services for nearly 50 years, operates several shelters in El Paso, helping immigrants and refugees obtain food, housing, and legal assistance.
A D.C. judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to provide details of Prince Harry's visa application to a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, which is seeking to confirm whether Harry disclosed his history with illegal drugs as detailed in his 2023 memoir. The foundation believes that if Harry did not make the legally mandated disclosure, it would expose a double standard weighted towards privileged individuals. The DHS has fought to keep Harry's visa paperwork sealed, citing privacy concerns, but the judge's order requires the DHS to provide a declaration of the documents it is holding in connection with Harry's immigration status for review.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the Catholic migrant aid organization Annunciation House, alleging "human smuggling" and threatening to terminate its right to operate in Texas. The nonprofit, which provides humanitarian assistance to migrants, has been accused of running an "illegal stash house" by Paxton, as part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's broader crackdown on immigration and border communities. The lawsuit has sparked concerns about the implications for churches, hospitals, and other organizations providing similar assistance, and has been criticized by local religious leaders and advocates as an attempt to intimidate and politicize humanitarian efforts.
The Attorney General's office demanded immediate release of extensive documentation about immigrant clients from Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit operating shelters in El Paso, leading to a lawsuit from the nonprofit seeking a court ruling on which documents to hand over. In response, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the organization for non-compliance, accusing them of worsening illegal immigration. The nonprofit's lawyer criticized Paxton's aggressive approach, while the state argued for revoking the nonprofit's Texas registration due to non-compliance. The hearing on these matters is scheduled to take place before March 7.
Prince Harry faces a court showdown in the US over attempts to keep his immigration records secret, as a think-tank seeks to determine if he lied on his visa application about drug use. The Department of Homeland Security is being pressured to release Harry's immigration records, potentially jeopardizing his plans to become a US citizen. The Duke admitted to drug use in his memoir, and if he did not disclose this on his visa application, his visa could be reviewed or revoked. The outcome of the case could impact his future citizenship plans.
Texas is defying the Biden administration in a legal and physical battle over border security, with the Supreme Court granting an emergency appeal to allow federal officials to cut razor wire installed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Legal experts Jonathan Turley and Richard Painter weigh in on the issue, with Turley suggesting that Texas may not have a strong legal basis to prevent federal access and Painter highlighting the ambiguity in immigration law jurisdiction between the federal government and states. Abbott argues that the federal government has failed to enforce immigration laws, leading to multiple legal battles between Texas and the Biden administration.
A Texas bus company is suing Chicago over an ordinance that restricts the dropping off of migrants, claiming it violates the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. The ordinance imposes fines and impoundment for unloading migrants outside designated hours and locations without a permit. The company argues that the ordinance hinders migrants from entering Chicago and infringes on federal immigration policy. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, previously supportive of migrants, faces backlash as the bus company seeks compensatory damages and attorney's fees.
A Texas charter bus company, Wynne Transportation LLC, is suing the city of Chicago over its ordinance banning unannounced migrant drop-offs, arguing that it is unconstitutional and interferes with its business. The ordinance, enacted to address the influx of migrants arriving from Texas, requires unscheduled one-way buses to get advance approval from the city to drop off passengers, with violators facing fines and vehicle impoundment. The lawsuit contends that the ordinance infringes on federal immigration policy and violates the constitutional rights of the bus company and its passengers, while Chicago has filed numerous lawsuits to enforce the ordinance.
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), a controversial law that empowers state law enforcement to detain and deport migrants entering or living in the U.S. illegally. The complaint argues that SB4 violates federal immigration powers and deprives immigrants of their rights under federal law. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the enforcement of SB4 before it takes effect on March 5. El Paso County, along with two immigrant advocacy organizations, is also part of the legal challenge. Critics argue that the law will disproportionately target Hispanic residents and U.S. citizens in Texas.
