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The Department of Justice is arguing against compensating immigrants separated from their families by the Trump administration. A Pennsylvania court filing shows the DOJ stated separated families are not entitled to compensation and asked for a dismissal of a case fighting for payment. A motion was also filed in California to dismiss a similar lawsuit, and it’s likely that more will follow suit. The development follows disagreements in negotiations between attorneys of the separated families and the Department of Justice. In the briefing, the DOJ maintained it does not approve of the Trump-era policy of separating families, but questioned whether migrants who entered the country without authorization can challenge immigration enforcement. Washington Post
In other federal immigration news…
Supreme Court Tackles Indefinite Immigration Detention
Supreme Court justices seemed split as they heard a case concerning the federal government’s request to deny bond hearings to certain immigrants who have been detained for months or years. The immigrants argued against the long duration of their detention, maintaining that after six months, federal law permits them to have bond hearings. The federal government countered that such provisions do not exist. Attorneys representing opposing camps argued for and against a federal law that permits the detention of immigrants if a deportation is expected in the “reasonably foreseeable future.” USA TODAY
Most Voters Want Federal Government to Stop For-Profit Immigrant Detention
An American Civil Liberties Union and YouGov poll shows that 68% of respondents want the federal government to stop partnering with for-profit prison companies to build private detention centers. Many Americans have become aware of the cruel conditions and problematic business model of private prisons, and want President Biden to keep his promise to end for-profit detention centers. Biden’s administration has abandoned its own stated values by continuing to seek out contracts with private prison companies to detain immigrants throughout the country, despite strong public support to end the practice. ACLU
