VIDEO: PJ with our Anticarceral Legal Organizing Team at Imperial Regional Detention Facility

June 19, 2026 Program

Defend Your Rights

May 23, 2026 News and Analysis

Video evidence of surveillance tech used in Op Black Rose

Transcripts from court proceedings along with recently released video evidence previously submitted to the court show how surveillance technology allowed DHS database systems to supplant constitutional and statutory law.

May 8, 2026 Press Release

Oregon Mom Freed After Nearly Four Months in ICE Detention

An Oregon mother was freed on Friday May 8th, 2026 after nearly four months in detention at the ICE detention center in Tacoma.

May 7, 2026 About & Information

Helping Families Harmed by ICE

This page offers guidance for Oregon community members on ways to respond to some of the difficult situations that can arise when a loved one is detained.

April 28, 2026 Case

Hereira Oliveros v. Dedos et al.

Can DHS violate court orders, conduct unlawful arrest & detentions, and overlook protections offered to individuals who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status?

April 22, 2026 Case

Diaz Cervantes et al. v. Ortiz

Can ICE detain people indefinitely with no reason, no process, and no plans to lawfully deport them from the United States?

April 22, 2026 Case

Fritson v. Ortiz

Can ICE arrest and re-detain an asylum seeker after initially releasing them into the United States to seek protect without making any individualized determination that the facts or circumstances warrant doing so?

April 22, 2026 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Files Group Habeas Petition For Four Men Indefinitely Detained By ICE at Torrance

We've filed a group Habeas Petition for 4 men who are detained at the notorious Torrance County Detention Facility.

April 21, 2026 Case

B-P- v. Hernandez

Can the Department of Homeland Security revoke Orders of Supervision without a valid reason and detain people solely on the basis of their country of origin?

April 17, 2026 News and Analysis

Leadership Announcement

A letter from Tess Hellgren regarding her transition from Innovation Law Lab.

April 10, 2026 Case

Bernal Bernal v. Hernandez

Can DHS punish someone for a decade-old misdemeanor conviction––which they already satisfied––by incarcerating them without providing him due process or applying any lawful standard at their custody hearing?

March 27, 2026 Press Release

After Nine Months of Unlawful ICE Detention, Iranian with Protection from Removal is Freed

Hadi Hajimohammadidibazar, an Iranian man who fled persecution, was released today from the Torrance County Detention Facility after a federal court granted a habeas corpus petition filed by Innovation Law Lab challenging his detention as unlawful.

March 25, 2026 Case

Bermudez Yanez v. Mullin et al.

Can DHS detain individuals with Temporary Protected Status when they are statutorily prohibited from doing so?

March 20, 2026 Case

Escalante Perez v Hernandez

May the Government detain individuals without complying with the United States Constitution merely to fulfill their detention-bed quota?

Asylum seekers at fence with barbed wire

March 9, 2026 Case

E-D-S-O- v. Hernandez

Can DHS violate court orders, conduct unlawful arrest & detentions, and overlook protections offered to individuals who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status?

February 23, 2026 News and Analysis

Refugee Re-Detention Memo: What Legal Service Providers Should Know

On February 18, 2026, USCIS & ICE issued a memo with plans to arrest and detain refugees who've resided in the United States for one year and who have not yet applied for lawful permanent residency. Here's what legal providers need to know about the memo.

Barbed Wire with a plane in the background

February 18, 2026 Case

Jiang v. Ortiz

Can ICE re-detain someone at their regularly scheduled check-in without notice or reason and keep them locked up indefinitely when there is no possibility of their deportation back to their home country?

United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

February 13, 2026 Press Release

Plaintiffs Seek Emergency Relief in Response to Rampant ICE Violence at and Around Schools and Healthcare Facilities Terrorizing Communities Nationwide

Sensitive Locations Case Moves for Pausing ICE Access as Lawsuit Continues

February 5, 2026 News and Analysis

Oregon: DHS's Arrest First, Justify Later Policy Enjoined

On February 4, 2026, a federal judge ordered DHS to stop making warrantless arrests in Oregon without the required flight risk analysis. Here is what to know.

January 26, 2026 News and Analysis

Keep Oregon Free From ICE Detention

Oregonians have long mobilized to keep ICE detention out of Oregon, and the current moment is no exception.

January 22, 2026 Resource

Protecting My Constituents: A Toolkit for Electeds

This toolkit provides general information for Oregon state and local electeds about how they can protect the communities they serve.

January 10, 2026 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Seeks Emergency Order to Halt Warrantless ICE Arrests in Oregon

Innovation Law Lab filed a motion asking a federal court to halt ICE's practice of conducting warrantless immigration arrests in Oregon.

January 2, 2026 Case

Hajimohammadidibazar v. Ortiz

Can ICE re-detain and indefinitely detain people granted withholding of removal without the process they are due or any rationale for their detention?

December 30, 2025 Case

A-B-D- & C-C-S- v Wamsley

When it comes to arrests, ICE has been following this pattern: detain first, justify later. But that is not the law, so we sued ICE to challenge their illegal and illegitimate arrests.

December 24, 2025 Resource

Safeguarding Places of Worship

Oregon’s places of worship are vital spaces where community members come together to share in one another’s most deeply held beliefs. This toolkit provides general information relevant to Oregon places of worship.

December 19, 2025 Press Release

Oregonians Take ICE to Court Today Over Constitutional Violations

Oregon community members and immigration attorneys testified in federal court today about ICE’s systemic denial of access to counsel, describing how Oregonians are being swept up in the surge of violent and lawless ICE enforcement across the state.

December 16, 2025 Case

M-L-G-G- et. al. v. Wamsley

Can ICE cast aside our due process rights and detain us without reasonable suspicion or probable cause? ICE continues to conduct warrantless arrests, violating governing laws and their own agencies policies in the process.

December 8, 2025 About & Information

Defending Rights Through the Rulemaking Process

The Innovation Law Lab engages in the rulemaking process to defend the right to asylum and opposes proposed regulatory changes that attack this right.

December 6, 2025 Resource

Immigration Detention Assessment 101 for Oregon-Based Immigration Attorneys

Resources from our Immigration Detention Assessment 101 Training, as well as a screening form for conducting Rapid Response services.

December 6, 2025 Resource

The Attorney General’s Judges

Since its creation, the contemporary immigration court system has been perpetually afflicted by dysfunction. Today, under the Trump administration, the immgration court system—a system whose important work is vital for our nation's collective prosperity—has e

December 6, 2025 Resource

Safeguarding Oregon Healthcare Facilities: A Toolkit

This toolkit offers a starting point to help Oregon healthcare facilities strengthen their policies and practices so that all Oregonians can access healthcare in an environment where they feel safe and welcome.

December 6, 2025 Resource

Immigration Court & ICE Arrests: What Immigrant Oregonians Need to Know

ICE attorneys are asking the immigration judge to close the person’s case with the immigration court in order to place them in a type of rapid deportation process. Learn how to resist.

Colorful people supporting scales of justice

December 6, 2025 Parent Page

Cases

Law Lab goes to court to challenge unconstitutional and unlawful practices and to protect community action. We use the courts to defend rights and protect democracy.

Illustration of two people standing on one side of a line, with another person on the other side.

December 6, 2025 Case

Ziaei v. Ortiz

Whether ICE can re-detain people granted withholding of removal without an individualized determination, notice or opportunity to be heard.

December 6, 2025 Case

CLEAR Clinic v. Noem

Is ICE able to undermine our constitutional right to due process and erode our constitution?

November 25, 2025 Case

M-E-G-G- v. Hermosillo

Can DHS use license plate readers and facial recognition surveillance to bypass the protections of the U.S. Constitution?

November 4, 2025 About & Information

Our Technology & Products

We build cool technology to defend human rights.

November 1, 2025 Case

M-J-M-A- v. Wamsley

Can ICE shatter windows, throw people to the ground, and arrest them without a warrant and without a reason?

October 16, 2025 News and Analysis

Lawyers Sue for Access

The right to due process is a fundamental freedom and a cornerstone of our democracy. Every person in the United States has the right to due process, no matter where they were born or their immigration status.

October 5, 2025 About & Information

Call Forth Clause and Presidential Abuse

Trump is building out a paramilitary policing force unaccountable to the public. But states have tools to resist this dangerous abuse of power and protect communities from intimidation.

October 4, 2025 Press Release

Law Lab Celebrates Rule of Law Prevails in Oregon's National Guard Case

We believe in liberty and justice. We believe in the rule of law. Today, the Court ruled for the people and for liberty.

October 1, 2025 About & Information

Cibola County Correctional Center

The Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC) is a notorious immigration prison in Milan, New Mexico. Since CCCC began detaining people in ICE custody in October 2016, thousands of asylum seekers have suffered within its walls — surviving inhumane conditions, woefully inadequate medical and mental health care, and rampant due process violations, among other harm.

September 24, 2025 Resource

Preparing for ICE Encounters: Know Your Rights, Responses, and Recourses

A resource for how you and your family can prepare in the event of an encounter with immigration enforcement.

September 24, 2025 Resource

Safeguarding Oregon Schools: A Toolkit

A Toolkit for Schools and School Districts to Protect School Communities Threatened with Immigration Enforcement

September 24, 2025 Resource

Safeguarding Organizations: A Toolkit

Innovation Law Lab has prepared this toolkit for the Oregon For All coalition to help empower advocates and organizations that support immigrants and refugees so they can protect themselves throughout the fight ahead.

September 24, 2025 Case

Innovation Law Lab v. ICE (Placement Guidelines FOIA)

We sued ICE to demand the public and proactive disclosure of detention placement and transfer guidelines.

Wildland Firefighter Released from Custody

September 24, 2025 Press Release

Oregon Firefighter Freed from ICE Detention

An Oregon firefighter who was arrested last month by Border Patrol while battling the Bear Gulch fire was freed from ICE detention Tuesday. Rigoberto Hernandez Hernandez, a 23-year-old wildland firefighter, is back home in Oregon after nearly four weeks in the

September 23, 2025 Resource

Safeguarding Oregon Healthcare Facilities: A Toolkit

September 10, 2025 Press Release

NEA, AFT, and Members of Impacted Preschool Join Lawsuit to Restore Protections From ICE Enforcement

Federal Litigation Challenges Trump Administration’s Revocation of “Sensitive Locations” Policy.

July 8, 2025 News and Analysis

Defending Asylum Seekers Targeted at Portland Immigration Court

Innovation Law Lab rapidly filed five lawsuits on behalf of detained asylum seekers against ICE.

April 29, 2025 News and Analysis

Community Organizations and Houses of Worship Across the Nation Sue Trump Administration to Preserve the Sanctity of Safe Spaces

The Trump administration was sued in order to protect the sanctity of safe and secure spaces.

April 28, 2025 Case

PCUN v. Noem

We sued to ensure that sacred spaces remain sacred.

April 24, 2025 News and Analysis

Unaccompanied Minor “Wellness Checks”: Know What is Happening and Know Your Rights!

Several federal agencies are conducting "wellness checks" on unaccompanied minors that entered the United States. Here is what to know about your rights regarding these "wellness checks"

April 17, 2025 News and Analysis

Court Blocks Remain in Mexico Reimplementation

A federal court halts the Remain in Mexico Policy.

April 9, 2025 News and Analysis

ICE and IRS Team Up to Target Immigrant Communities

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing ICE to access private taxpayer information.

April 2, 2025 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab Rejects the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Legal Advocacy

The Innovation Law Lab stands up against a memo issued by President Trump. The memo aims to silence immigration attorneys.

March 15, 2025 News and Analysis

Trump’s Unconstitutional Proclamation Declares War on Immigrant Families

The Innovation Law Lab comments on President Trump's unconstitutional application of the Alien Enemies Act.

March 14, 2025 Resource

Safe Schools, Safe Students: A Toolkit for Florida Educators, Students, and Parents

A toolkit for educators to keep their institutions safe from immigration enforcement operations.

March 5, 2025 News and Analysis

Harm at Torrance Revealed in Detention Oversight Records

The Innovation Law Lab receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that uncovers the harm being done at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF).

February 12, 2025 News and Analysis

HB 9, the Immigrant Safety Act, Introduced to End New Mexico’s Complicity in Immigration Detention

New Mexico lawmakers introduced House Bill 9, the Immigrant Safety Act, a measure aimed at cutting New Mexico’s ties to the federal immigration detention system.

February 12, 2025 News and Analysis

Immigrant Rights Organization Asks Court to Halt Remain in Mexico Restart

The Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) asked a federal court to halt the Trump administration’s plan to restart the Remain in Mexico policy.

January 29, 2025 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab Statement on the Signing of the Laken Riley Act

The Innovation Law Lab issues a statement on the signing of the Laken Riley Act , an atrocious law that aims to scapegoat immigrants.

January 15, 2025 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Files Lawsuit Demanding Transparency from ICE Over Detention Placement and Transfer Policies and Practices

A lawsuit seeks transparency in ICE’s decision making processes, information that the public is entitled to under the law.

December 13, 2024 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab teamed up with the Integrated Rural Strategies Group to host a webinar titled Freedom To Thrive, in support of the Anti-carceral Legal Organizing program at Law Lab

A webinar discussing discuss how immigration detention harms people inside AND outside its walls, and how organizing with all impacted communities is the best way to build pathways to end ICE detention so that everyone can thrive.

December 13, 2024 Resource

Freedom To Thrive Webinar

Innovation Law Lab teamed up with the Integrated Rural Strategies Group to host a webinar titled Freedom To Thrive, in support of the Anticarceral Legal Organizing program at Law Lab.

December 4, 2024 News and Analysis

Law Lab’s fight to end ICE detention in NM: Campaign Update

An update on the Innovation Law Lab's efforts to shut down detention facilities in New Mexico.

University of California sign that reads "Defend DACA"

October 22, 2024 News and Analysis

Standing Together Against Attacks on DACA

An update from the Innovation Law Lab to DACA recipients as we await the 5th Circuit Court’s decision.

October 18, 2024 News and Analysis

Campaign Update: Law Lab’s fight to end ICE detention in NM

An update from the Innovation Law Lab's Anticarceral Legal Organizing (AcLO) work to shut down immigration detention centers in New Mexico

June 18, 2024 Press Release

Oregon Leaders Applaud Biden’s Immigration Reforms

A Biden Administration executive action will impact up to 16,000 Oregonians; there will be information sessions statewide to help immigrant Oregonians learn about the action and get free access to lawyers and accredited representatives.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services banner

April 24, 2024 News and Analysis

Legal Challenge Prompts USCIS to Release Key Immigration Manuals to the Public

As the result of a lawsuit filed by Innovation Law Lab and the National Immigration Litigation Alliance (NILA), two important immigration staff manuals being made available to the public.

News: Advocates Oppose ICE renewal contract

April 24, 2024 News and Analysis

Torrance County Commission Denies Torturous Conditions, Moves to Extend ICE Contract

Torrance County Commissioners voted to allow County Manager Janice Barela to extend the operation of the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) as an ICE jail for four months.

February 22, 2024 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Sues USCIS to Demand Transparency in the Expedited Removal Process

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Innovation Law Lab demands that USCIS publicly disclose two specific manuals: the Credible Fear Procedures Manual (CFPM) and the Reasonable Fear Procedures Manual (RFPM).

Five people posing; four are wearing "Dignity, not Detention" tshirts.

January 29, 2024 News and Analysis

People in New Mexico Call for Investment in Dignity Not Detention

The questions we’ve learned to ask about the role that detention centers play in the communities that surround them.

December 8, 2023 News and Analysis

Alerts from TCDF: Sewage Flood, Retaliatory Violence by Guards

There has been an increasing amount of reports from individuals detained at TCDF regarding lack of drinking water, cold indoor temperatures, lack of clean clothes and laundry, inedible food, and denial of outdoor recreation time.

November 8, 2023 Press Release

Immigrants Detained at Torrance County Detention Facility Sue ICE Over Sham Inspection

We filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals detained at TCDF, arguing that ICE wrongly recertified the facility as meeting detention standards, thus thwarting a federal law that would have required ICE to cancel its contract.

September 20, 2023 Press Release

Lip Service and Massive Restrictions Define Biden Administration Recent Policy on Asylum

The Biden Administration’s willing expansion of Title 42 and proposed asylum ban belies its promise to build a humane asylum system.

August 10, 2023 News and Analysis

FOIA Production | Torrance County Detention Facility

The Innovation Law Lab receives thousands of pages of documents from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). regarding the operation, conditions and inspections of the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF).

June 29, 2023 Press Release

New Report Outlines Recommendations for Rural Communities Looking to Transition Away From Prison Economies and Endemic Human Rights Violations

A new report offers a resource for rural communities and lawmakers looking to move away from the impacts of immigration prisons.

June 23, 2023 Press Release

After Title 42’s End, Plaintiffs in Haitian Bridge Alliance v. Biden Allege Continued Racial Discrimination and Rights Violations

Haitian Bridge Alliance v. Biden was originally filed on behalf of HBA and 11 individual plaintiffs to hold the government to account for detaining and expelling thousands of Haitians seeking safety in Del Rio, Texas, in September 2021.

May 11, 2023 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Responds to End of Title 42 and New Asylum Ban

The end of Title 42 that unlawfully denied thousands of people access to the U.S. asylum system has been replaced by a new asylum ban to again shut America’s doors to individuals and families fleeing persecution.

March 21, 2023 Press Release

New Mexico Groups Send 2nd Demand Letter after DHS Fails to Provide Asylum Seekers Relief, Investigate Retaliation and Abuse at Torrance

Advocacy organizations have received multiple new reports of negligent medical services, retaliation and physical assault by CoreCivic guards at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) in New Mexico.

March 20, 2023 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Statement on 3-Year Anniversary of Title 42

Title 42 exposes people seeking safety to murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults and targeted attacks that could be prevented by respecting the human right to apply for asylum.

March 16, 2023 Press Release

Court Allows Remain in Mexico Lawsuit to Move Forward

order is a victory for those who faced terrible violence and who were prevented from understanding their asylum proceedings and, in many cases, even attending their hearings.

March 8, 2023 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Statement on Biden Administration Consideration of Reinstating Immigrant Family Detention

The Biden Administration is considering reinstating family immigration detention, the practice of detaining immigrant families with children in Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

March 1, 2023 Press Release

New Mexico Groups Call On DHS to Provide Asylum Seekers Relief From Torturous Conditions, Investigate Retaliation and Abuse at Torrance County Detention Facility

Rights groups request immediate action to cease and investigate the dire conditions and other abusive and retaliatory tactics employed by CoreCivic personnel at the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico.

February 15, 2023 Press Release

In New Report, Asylum Seekers Describe Sleep Deprivation, Torture Rooms, Rigged Deportation Process and Yet Another Attempted Suicide at Notorious Torrance County Detention Facility

Hundreds of individual interviews and group discussions since the start of 2023 form the basis of the report’s findings and paint a disturbing picture of misconduct by US Government officials and CoreCivic employees.

February 1, 2023 Press Release

Asylum Seekers Denied Basic Due Process and Access to Asylum at Torrance County Detention Facility

The asylum seekers at TCDF are demanding that DHS rectify egregious violations of their basic due process rights, and allow them to access the asylum process.

January 25, 2023 Press Release

SB 172 aims to end civil immigration detention in New Mexico

Senate Bill 172, an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (“IGSA”) ban bill, nicknamed the “Dignity Not Detention” bill, has been filed at the New Mexico Legislature.

January 9, 2023 Press Release

ICE Sends Roughly 100 Immigrants to Known Danger at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico

Immigrant rights groups report ICE's transfer of approximately 100 individuals to Torrance County Detention Facility, an immigration detention center notorious for dangerous conditions and abuse.

December 29, 2022 Press Release

Immigrant Rights Group Seeking to Intervene in Louisiana v. CDC Condemns United States Supreme Court Decision to Keep Title 42 In Effect in Huisha Huisha case

Earlier this week the United States Supreme Court decided to allow Title 42 to remain in effect, continuing a cruel and unjustifiable policy that will lead to further death and suffering for those fleeing harm.

December 8, 2022 Resource

Open Letter from “Los Últimos Guerreros,” the Last People Detained by ICE at Torrance County Detention Facility

A group that calls itself Los Últimos Guerreros writes a letter calling for for ICE to cancel any plans to bring anyone else to the Torrance County Detention Facility to suffer.

December 8, 2022 Press Release

Suicide Attempt at New Mexico ICE Detention Center Less Than 4 Months After Death by Suicide at Same Facility Already Under Intense Scrutiny for Chronic & Severe Federal Standards Violations

On November 30, 2022, Rafael Oliveira, a young man from Brazil, suffered a nonfatal suicide attempt while in ICE custody at the Torrance County Detention Facility.

October 14, 2022 News and Analysis

Lying and Denying: ICE & CoreCivic at Torrance County Detention Facility

ICE and CoreCivic continue to evade transparency, lie about the abuse and abhorrent conditions at Torrance County Detention Facility

October 3, 2022 Press Release

Advocates Demand Torrance County Detention Facility Be Shut Down And All Migrants Detained There Be Released Immediately In Light Of Damning New Report

The OIG report confirms yet again that ICE and CoreCivic have knowingly kept migrants locked up under abhorrent conditions for years.

September 28, 2022 Press Release

Immigrants Detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico Announce Hunger Strike, Issue Collective Protest Letter

Immigrants at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico stage a hunger strike to protest dangerous conditions and demand their release.

August 27, 2022 Press Release

Death of Brazilian Migrant in ICE Custody Predictable and Preventable Result of ICE and CoreCivic Abuse, Neglect and Dangerous Conditions at Torrance County

CW: fatal suicide. Kesley Vial, a young man from Brazil, died of a fatal suicide attempt that occurred on August 17 while in ICE custody at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF).

August 1, 2022 Press Release

Rights Groups Seek Investigation of Folkston ICE Processing Center

Immigrant rights organizations filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) and other governmental departments requesting an investigation into “excessive and retaliatory use of force, inhumane treatment, and rights violations”.

July 27, 2022 Press Release

Rights Groups Continue to Demand ICE, GEO Group Investigate Abuse & Retaliation Against Detained Migrants at Folkston ICE Processing Center While Private Prison Guards Commit New Violent Assault

While detained migrants and rights groups have pressured ICE to begin the process of complying with some of their demands, guards assault another detained man.

June 30, 2022 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Reacts to Supreme Court Decision Allowing Biden Administration to Terminate the Cruel & Unlawful Remain in Mexico Policy, Continues the Fight to Defend Asylum

The Biden administration must take bold, swift action to fulfill its campaign promise and fully end Remain in Mexico – and other restrictions on the lawful right to seek asylum.

June 20, 2022 News and Analysis

Anticarceral Legal Organizing at Torrance County Detention Facility

Innovation Law Lab and EPIC support people detained by ICE at the abusive, remote Torrance facility in New Mexico. They provide legal aid, document severe rights violations, and advocate for releases, transparency, and ultimately shutting the detention center

June 17, 2022 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab and UCLA-CILP React to 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Denial of Motion to Stay

On June 16, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a one sentence denial of our motion to stay the nationwide scope of the district court injunction, offering no reason for the denial.

June 17, 2022 Press Release

Rights Groups Deliver Demand Letter to ICE, GEO Group over Abuse & Retaliation Against Detained Migrants at Folkston ICE Processing Center

Advocacy groups sent a formal demand letter to ICE and GEO Group at Folkston ICE Processing Center to request immediate redress of abusive and retaliatory tactics at the immigration detention center in rural Georgia.

June 13, 2022 Press Release

Advocacy group sues ICE to obtain records relating to dangerous conditions at Torrance County Detention Facility

Innovation Law Lab is urgently seeking agency records that relate to ICE’s defiance of the DHS OIG recommendations at Torrance County Detention Facility, as well as any efforts taken by the agency to remedy the dangerous conditions documented by the DHS OIG.

June 10, 2022 News and Analysis

Law Lab’s Director of Strategy, Isa Peña, visits San Diego & Tijuana

Isa Peña, Innovation Law Lab's Director of Strategy met with many incredible local advocates and groups doing tremendous work in San Diego and Tijuana

June 6, 2022 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Files Motion to Stay Nationwide Injunction in Arizona v. CDC

Innovation Law Lab has filed a motion to stay the nationwide scope of the injunction issued in Arizona v. CDC, brought in the Western District of Louisiana, seeking to stop the Biden administration’s termination of the Title 42 order.

May 20, 2022 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab, Counsel, Respond to Dangerous and Unlawful Ruling in Arizona v. CDC

Innovation Law Lab has filed an amicus brief and a motion to intervene in Arizona v. CDC.

May 17, 2022 News and Analysis

What’s Really Going On in Torrance?

People at Torrance Detention face sewage, mold, unsafe water, and severe understaffing. Despite a watchdog’s call to empty the facility, ICE sent in more people. Advocates seek records to expose conditions and demand transparency amid ongoing abuse and neglect

May 10, 2022 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Joins Family Seeking Asylum to Intervene in Title 42 Lawsuit

Innovation Law Lab seeks to prevent state governments from forcing continuation of racist immigration policy Title 42

May 9, 2022 Press Release

Advocacy groups file records requests seeking transparency in troubled Torrance detention center

TCDF, in Estancia, detains individuals on behalf of Torrance County, the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE. On behalf of Innovation Law Lab, the ACLU of New Mexico filed records requests regarding the operation, conditions and inspections of the Torrance County De

May 3, 2022 News and Analysis

Freedom! 73 Haitians Released from Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico

Details the steps taken that resulted in the release of 73 Haitians detained at Torrance County Detention Facility.

March 18, 2022 Press Release

ACLU-NM and Immigrant Rights Groups Call for the Immediate Release of People Detained in Torrance County Detention Facility, and for the Termination of its ICE Contract

Immigrant rights organizations are calling for the immediate release, not transfer, of people detained by ICE at the Torrance County Detention Facility following deeply disturbing findings announced by a federal watchdog agency.

March 3, 2022 Press Release

Oregon House of Representatives Passes SB1543, Clearing the Way for Historic Universal Legal Representation for Immigrants in Oregon

SB1543 will improve access to justice and advance immigrant rights.

March 3, 2022 Press Release

Oregon House of Representatives Passes SB1543, Clearing the Way for Historic Universal Legal Representation for Immigrants in Oregon

SB1543 will improve access to justice and advance immigrant rights.

February 18, 2022 Press Release

As SCOTUS Takes Up Remain in Mexico Case, Immigrant Rights Groups Seek Class Certification in Separate Lawsuit to Protect Asylum Seekers in Danger

As the U.S. Supreme Court grants review of an order to restart Remain in Mexico, thousands returned to Mexico under the prior version of the policy remain stranded outside the United States without meaningful access to the U.S. asylum process.

January 6, 2022 News and Analysis

Law Lab's Anticarceral Legal Organizing Program Joins Partners & Detained Migrants in Federal Complaint

Discusses a federal complaint about health by nine people detained at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in California's Imperial County.

December 22, 2021 Press Release

Un Recours Collectif Fédéral Allègue le Traitement Raciste et Abusif des Migrants Haïtiens à Del Rio, au Texas

Les Demandeurs d'Asile et Haitian Bridge Alliance Demandent des Comptes au Gouvernement Américain pour les Atroces Violations des Droits Civils des Demandeurs d'Asile Noirs.

December 20, 2021 Press Release

Federal Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Racist and Abusive Treatment of Haitian Migrants in Del Rio, Texas

Asylum Seekers and Haitian Bridge Alliance Seek Accountability from U.S. Government for Atrocious Civil Rights Abuses Against Black Asylum Seekers.

November 22, 2021 Press Release

ICE Continues to Deny Haitians Access to Legal Support, Humane Conditions, and Release from Torrance County Detention Facility

Immigrant rights advocates delivered a second demand letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the agency failed to respond to a previous letter and continued to deny adequate access to legal support for a group of Haitian migrants.

November 9, 2021 Press Release

Groups Demand ICE Allow Detained Haitians Access to Legal Services

A group of immigrant rights advocates continue to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provide access to legal services for Haitian migrants detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico.

November 4, 2021 Press Release

Asylum Seekers Seek Emergency Relief As Battle Over “Remain in Mexico” Policy Continues

Six asylum seekers subjected to the “Remain in Mexico” policy sought an emergency order from a federal court allowing them to return to the United States to pursue their claims for asylum and related relief.

Sign that reads "Our Liberation is Bound to Each Other"

October 21, 2021 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab Stands with Haitian Asylum Seekers, Condemns Racist Mistreatment and Expulsions to Haiti

The Innovation Law Lab urges the Biden Administration must welcome Haitian asylum seekers with dignity, it also condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist treatment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents of Black asylum seekers from Haiti.

October 21, 2021 Press Release

Immigration Advocates Applaud End of Performance Metrics for Immigration Judges

A response to the Department of Justice’s decision to end Trump-era case completion quotas for immigration judges.

September 16, 2021 Press Release

Groups Demand Information on Secretive Title 42 Practices

Two organizations file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to demand transparency around Title 42, a pandemic as justification for automatically expelling nearly all immigrants.

August 30, 2021 Press Release

With Sanctuary Promise Act Signed into Law, Community Members Declare Moot Lawsuit Challenging Oregon Jail ICE Contract

Four Oregon taxpayers filed notice to the Oregon Court of Appeals that their lawsuit against the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities (NORCOR) is now moot due to the passage of the Sanctuary Promise Act.

August 25, 2021 Press Release

Innovation Law Lab Disappointed by US Supreme Court Denial of Stay in Remain in Mexico Case

The US Supreme Court denied a request by the Biden Administration to stay a Texas district court’s order that the federal government “enforce and implement [the Remain in Mexico policy] in good faith”.

August 18, 2021 Press Release

Court Orders Government To Issue 9,095 Reserved 2020 Diversity Visas

The Biden Administration is ordered to issue 9,095 diversity visas from Fiscal Year 2020 that the court reserved nearly a year ago.

August 16, 2021 Press Release

Rights Advocates Seek Relief for Thousands of Asylum Seekers Left Behind by Biden Administration Wind-down of Remain in Mexico Policy

Rights Advocates Seek Relief for Thousands of Asylum Seekers Left Behind by Biden Administration Wind-down of Remain in Mexico Policy.

May 28, 2021 Press Release

Biden Department of Justice’s New “Rocket Docket” Further Undermines Due Process Rights for Refugee Families Seeking Safety From Persecution

Under the guise of reducing immigration court backlogs, the Biden Administration is moving to quickly deport refugee families, many to certain death.

May 24, 2021 News and Analysis

On the Termination of the ICE Contract with Irwin County Detention Center

After years of organizing and advocacy by survivors of ICE abuse and those in solidarity with them, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced the end of its immigrant incarceration contract with Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC).

May 17, 2021 Press Release

Oregon Worker Relief Distributes Over $60 million to Immigrant Oregonians in First Year

The one-year anniversary of the community-led program that provides cash assistance to immigrant Oregonians excluded from federal pandemic relief.

May 16, 2021 News and Analysis

Weaving a safety net for immigrant Oregonians during the pandemic

Community members and organizations from across Oregon organized to create Oregon Worker Relief to distribute critical cash assistance for workers excluded from traditional systems of support during the COVID-19 pandemic

May 14, 2021 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Welcomes Rescission of Trump’s Illegal Health Care Ban

Litigators welcome the rescission of President Trump’s long-enjoined Health Care Insurance Ban. The litigation partners had successfully sued to halt the ban for immigrants, announced via presidential proclamation on October 4, 2019.

April 21, 2021 News and Analysis

Statement in Solidarity with AAPI Communities

Innovation Law Lab condemns the ongoing violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

April 12, 2021 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Celebrates End of Harmful Visa Ban

With the expiration of Proclamation 10052, many categories of nonimmigrants will no longer be prevented from seeking entry to the United States due to the false premise that they will impede our country’s economic recovery caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 25, 2021 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Celebrates Partial End of Immigration Ban

In revoking former President Trump's immigration ban, the Biden administration flatly rejected the previous administration’s proclamation that the entry of immigrants presents a risk to the U.S. economy during the pandemic.

February 22, 2021 Press Release

Court Preserves Validity of 2020 Diversity Visas

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an emergency injunction preserving and extending the validity of most diversity visas from the 2020 diversity visa lottery.

January 5, 2021 Resource

New Report Documents Systemic Abuse at a New Mexico Immigrant Detention Center

A report from Advocate Visitors with Immigrants in Detention, details human rights abuses at the Otero County Processing Center. The study found a shockingly high rate of complaints, conditions and violations consistent with definitions of torture.

November 23, 2020 Press Release

Amicus Briefs Filed in Support of Challenge to Trump Administration Policy That Denies Asylum Seekers Safety & Legal Rights

Several groups have filed amicus briefs in a case challenging the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which has forced over 60,000 asylum seekers into precarious, life-threatening situations in Mexico.

November 20, 2020 Press Release

Oregon Legislature and City of Portland Approve $21.75 Million in Additional Funding for the Oregon Worker Relief Fund

An estimated $124 million is needed to provide relief to tens of thousands of Oregonians left out of federal stimulus, safety-net programs on the basis of immigration status.

July 8, 2020 News and Analysis

Oregonians Unite To Support Undocumented Workers

In collaboration with community partners, Innovation Law Lab created the Oregon Worker Relief Fund (OWRF), an emergency relief fund aimed at providing temporary financial support to Oregonians who have been excluded from other safety net programs.

May 28, 2020 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Files Lawsuit to Protect Families from Decades of Separation

Families Will Be Unable To Reunite Within Their Lifetimes Due To President Trump’s Proclamation May 28, 2020.

May 21, 2020 Press Release

Law Lab Founder Stephen Manning recognized as a leading changemaker

Founder and executive director of Innovation Law Lab recognized.

May 4, 2020 Press Release

Ninth Circuit Panel Prevents Trump Administration From Implementing Health Care Ban

Litigators welcome a decision to refuse the federal government a stay pending appeal of the preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump.

April 25, 2020 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Files Emergency Motion to Halt Implementation of President Trump’s Immigration Ban

Legal experts say this ban will keep families apart and hurt the U.S. economy.

April 3, 2020 Press Release

Immigration Court System Continues to Endanger Lives Despite Incremental Changes

Litigants argued for a temporary restraining order in federal court earlier this week to establish protective measures to ensure that the rights of respondents are not jeopardized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A map showing the nation’s immigration courts overlaid with the spreading pandemic.

March 30, 2020 News and Analysis

COVID-19 & The Danger of Going to Immigration Court

An explanation of the Trump Administration's weaponization of COVID-19 against the lives of immigrants and the communities in which they live and work.

March 14, 2020 Press Release

An Open Letter to the Immigration Authorities in Oregon

Members of the Oregon Ready coalition called on the Executive Office of Immigration Review and the Department of Homeland Security to take comprehensive measures to put the health and well-being of our communities at the forefront.

March 11, 2020 Press Release

U.S. Supreme Court Allows "Remain in Mexico" To Stay In Effect

The U.S. Supreme Court granted the federal government’s application for a stay of the lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the Trump Administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.

March 4, 2020 Press Release

Again, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Deems Trump’s “Remain In Mexico” Program Unlawful

In a unanimous order, the Ninth Circuit held yet again that there is no “serious possibility that the MPP is consistent” with federal law.

January 31, 2020 News and Analysis

The Role of Judges to “Say What the Law Is”: Judicial Oversight of Immigration Adjudication

Faced with the Trump Administration’s weaponization of the immigration courts against asylum-seekers, the role of the federal courts is more important than ever. This article points to an extraordinary rebuke from a circuit court to the BIA.

December 20, 2019 Press Release

Civil Rights Coalition Successfully Enjoins Presidential Health Insurance Proclamation

Ninth Circuit issues order protecting immigrant families from the impact of the constitutional health ban.

Toolkit wrench screwdriver ones and zeros

September 27, 2019 Resource

Su Caso Esta En Sus Manos

Innovation Law Lab announces a model of support to reduce harm and provide resources for asylum seekers.

April 8, 2019 News and Analysis

Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Granted in Innovation Law Lab v. Nielsen

A federal district judge granted a nationwide preliminary injunction in "Innovation Law Lab v. Nielsen," a case challenging implementation of the so-called "Migrant Protection Protocols."

March 22, 2019 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab statement following “Remain in Mexico” court hearing

Describes the case "Innovation Law Lab v. Nielsen," a challenge to a policy called the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” sometimes referred to as MPP for short.

March 21, 2019 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab and other groups challenge the Trump Administration in court

The Innovation Law Lab and other groups await a federal court decision about the Trump Administration's latest attack on asylum seekers at the border.

March 19, 2019 News and Analysis

Asylum seekers returned to Mexico fear for their safety, lives

Describes the experiences of several people who are threatened by the Trump Administration’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to await the outcomes of their immigration cases.

March 19, 2019 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab and other groups demand an immediate end to returning asylum seekers to Mexico

The Innovation Law Lab challenges the legality of the Trump Administration’s forced return practice.

February 19, 2019 Case

Innovation Law Lab lead plaintiff in lawsuit challenging Trump Administration’s return of asylum seekers to Mexico

The lawsuit cites violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, as well as the United States’ duty under international human rights law not to return people to dangerous conditions.

December 21, 2018 News and Analysis

Supreme Court refuses to reinstate Trump’s “asylum ban” – following litigation by Innovation Law Lab and others

A suit by the Innovation Law Lab and three other organizations argues that the president does not have the authority to unilaterally rewrite an immigration statute adopted by Congress.

November 30, 2018 News and Analysis

From 124 to Zero: Final asylum seekers released from Sheridan

The last asylum seekers are released from Sheridan.

November 9, 2018 News and Analysis

Innovation Law Lab at the center of a nationwide lawsuit challenging Trump’s latest attempt to severely limit asylum eligibility

The Innovation Law Lab is one of four immigrant rights organizations contesting a new asylum rule that will have an immediate and devastating effect on the asylum seekers.

September 13, 2018 News and Analysis

VIDEO: PJ with our Anticarceral Legal Organizing Team at Imperial Regional Detention Facility

VIDEO: PJ with our Anticarceral Legal Organizing Team at Imperial Regional Detention Facility

Written by Guest Alex Mensing

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Alex Mensing