A settlement was approved by a judge on Wednesday regarding a 2017 lawsuit contesting the detention of Iraqi nationals earmarked for deportation during the Trump administration. The agreement, reached with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), establishes stringent conditions for future detentions preceding any proposed removals, as stated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman emphasized the settlement’s facilitation of a smoother process for immigrants to establish lives in America. An inquiry to ICE for comment was unanswered promptly.
The lawsuit encompassed approximately 1,400 individuals, many of whom had resided in the U.S. for extensive periods, working and raising families, due to Iraq’s reluctance to repatriate them. The situation altered abruptly in 2017, prompting ICE to apprehend numerous people, particularly in southeastern Michigan, detaining them based on dated deportation orders. Some individuals remained in custody for over a year, sparking protests outside the federal courthouse in Detroit.
The ACLU contended that sending the individuals back to Iraq would jeopardize their lives. The lawsuit aimed to pause deportations, enabling individuals to present arguments in immigration court regarding safety concerns in Iraq. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith issued pivotal rulings in their favor, despite subsequent reversals by a higher court in 2018. Nevertheless, Goldsmith’s directives provided opportunities for release and access to immigration court in the interim.
Several individuals were granted asylum or obtained U.S. citizenship. Approximately 50 individuals in ICE custody chose to return to Iraq, noted Aukerman, citing their distress from detention. She mentioned that most individuals opted to remain in the U.S., with only a minimal number facing deportations presently.
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