Statement Regarding J.G.G. v. Trump

For the attorneys, organizers, and community members on the ground, the Kern County immigration raid was more than just a headline — it was a turning point in the fight to protect their neighbors from fear and injustice.

SAN DIEGO — A federal court that twice ruled the Trump administration violated a settlement agreement stemming from the American Civil Liberties Union’s family separation lawsuit has now ordered the government to take specific steps to remedy the damage caused by the breach. At issue is the administration’s sudden termination of two contracts — one with Acacia Center for Justice and the other with Seneca Family of Agencies — guaranteeing critical legal and social services to separated families covered in the 2023 agreement. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw of the Southern District of California ruled in June and July that the administration cannot evade its settlement agreement obligations. The judge this week ordered that the impacted families be provided additional time to access the vital services that were delayed because of the breach. ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, lead counsel in the family separation lawsuit, had the following reaction: “The court once again rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine this critical settlement and made clear these families must have an opportunity to get the services they need and to remain together.” The rulings are here and here.

NEW YORK – The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Trump administration plans to deploy military troops to Chicago against a made-up crime wave. President Trump has also renewed his threats to deploy troops in Baltimore, San Francisco, and New York City, despite state governors’ objections. This comes amidst news that some National Guard troops in D.C. are now armed and, separately, that 19 states are planning to mobilize up to 1,700 of their National Guard troops in the coming weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security’s drive to detain and deport millions of people. The following is a statement from Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project: “President Trump is manufacturing ‘emergencies’ to expand his power and create fear in major American cities. Regardless of whether the president cites false crime statistics, villainizes immigrants, or claims peaceful protest is insurrection, sending armed federal agents and military troops into our communities is unjustified and dangerous. “President Trump’s escalating threats directly undermine our foundational value that the military should not be policing civilians, create legal jeopardy for servicemembers and federal agents, and put regular people going about their lives at high risk of having their rights violated. Governors and other state and local leaders must stay strong and take all lawful measures to protect their residents against the president’s repeated attempts to intimidate us.”

BALTIMORE — This morning, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was arrested at his ICE check-in appointment. The government intends to deport him to Uganda, a country with which Abrego Garcia has no association. Abrego Garcia is represented by lawyers at CASA, who hosted a vigil and rally in his support outside the location of the arrest. Earlier this year, the Trump administration – by its own admission – wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a torture prison in El Salvador in the middle of the night and with no due process. According to his lawyers, he suffered severe mistreatment there including isolation, beatings and psychological torture. After repeated court orders to return him, the administration finally brought him back but then immediately prosecuted him on federal smuggling charges. On Friday, over the administration’s objections, a federal court released him to his family in Maryland while his case proceeded. However, the government has now tried to force Abrego Garcia to accept deportation to Costa Rica as part of a plea agreement to end his criminal case. As punishment for not accepting that proposal, they then served notice to his lawyers that the administration will deport him to Uganda. Today, he was arrested during his ICE check-in. Sarah Mehta, Deputy Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union, released the following statement in response: “The Trump administration’s obsessive and petty cruelty is on full display in this latest move to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father they admitted to wrongfully deporting to a torture prison, to a country with which he has no relationship. This vindictive behavior is not just about Mr. Abrego Garcia; this is once again the administration showing that it can weaponize the law to punish people standing up for their rights and make our immigrant neighbors afraid of being rapidly exiled, including to places where they may be persecuted.”