Lawsuit filed in immigration detention situation in another state

There may be some families in Louisiana currently facing challenging situations regarding noncitizen family members. In fact, some situations likely involve immigration detention circumstances, either fear of being deported or navigating active removal proceedings. For immigrants, addressing such issues can be utterly frightening, especially if their statuses are not in good standing.

Sometimes, certain situations are brought to the court’s attention, such as a contentious battle currently taking place in another state. It’s a very complicated situation where a lawsuit has been filed against a regional jail. Those who filed the lawsuit say they are upset that state tax monies are being used to house immigration detainees for federal purposes.

Officials at the Oregon regional jail insist they have done nothing wrong and are merely complying with U.S. immigration law. However, there is a state law on the books that says regional jails may not be used to house anyone whose only reported violation is being in the country without valid papers. A spokesperson for the jail said they are not housing anyone who fits that category, only people who are charged with or convicted of crimes.

Those who filed the lawsuit stand by their accusation that the jail is in violation of the 1987 state law that prohibits state resources from being used to detain undocumented immigrants in assistance to the federal government. This type of immigration detention issue often affects many families in a given area. There are advocates and support networks available to help immigrant families; in Louisiana, one option for seeking assistance is to request a meeting with an immigration and naturalization law attorney.

Source: thedalleschronicle.com, “Jail sued over holding immigration detainees“, Neita Cecil, July 25, 2017