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Lopez Contreras v. Oddo

The ACLU of Pennsylvania joined lawyers from the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) to file a habeas corpus petition on behalf of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a New York City high school student and asylum seeker who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Lopez Contreras, who is from Venezuela, entered the United States legally in 2024 after receiving humanitarian parole. Despite having no criminal record and a pending application for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status which would have put him on a pathway to a green card, Mr. Lopez Contreras was detained at a courthouse by ICE during a routine immigration hearing on May 21, 2025, after ICE moved to dismiss his asylum case. Mr. Lopez Contreras does not speak English and had no attorney at this hearing. As a result, he did not understand that dismissing his case would allow ICE to place him into expedited removal, a summary deportation process with little judicial review or oversight. Mr. Lopez Contreras also suffers from a severe medical condition that doctors were attempting to diagnose before ICE detained him; in detention, he has no access to the specialized care he needs. The ACLU-PA habeas petition challenges Mr. Lopez Contreras' unlawful detention and seeks to prevent him from being moved by ICE to another jurisdiction and to ensure he is given full due process as guaranteed by the 5th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution.
News & Commentary
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By Refusing to Provide Necessary Care to Trans Youth Under 19 Years of Age, Penn State Health and UPMC Are Failing Their Patients

The ACLU advocates for the legality of and access to gender-affirming care because we have a 105-year track record of fighting for equality and equity for all, especially those who have been marginalized and had their rights compromised, historically and in the present moment. 
Court Case
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Make the Road Pennsylvania v. Harran

The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Community Justice Project have filed a lawsuit on behalf of Make The Road Pennsylvania, NAACP Bucks County, the BuxMont Unitarian Universalists, and an impacted Bucks County resident in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County challenging a so-called 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the Bucks County Sheriff entered into without authorization of the county’s governing body, the Bucks County Commissioners. ICE uses such agreements to deputize local law enforcement to act as immigration agents. The lawsuit argues that Sheriff Fred Harran illegally entered into the 287(g) because he failed to consult with and get approval from Bucks County Commissioners, the majority of whom oppose the agreement. By entering into this agreement over the County Board of Commissioners’ objection, the Sheriff violated both the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Cooperation Act. The lawsuit asks the court to issue an injunction that would prevent the agreement from taking effect.
Resource
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All-Member Webinar: The Truth About Executive Orders and Lawful DEI in Pennsylvania Schools

Press Releases

ACLU-PA and Community Justice Project File Lawsuit Against Bucks County Sheriff Over Illegal ICE Agreement

The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Community Justice Project have filed a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County against Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran after the sheriff unilaterally and illegally entered into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seeking to effectively deputize local law enforcement to operate as immigration agents.

Souderton Area School District Lifts Board Meeting Ban on Parents and Former Student Following ACLU-PA Lawsuit

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissed as moot a motion for a temporary restraining order asking the court to prohibit the Souderton Area School District from enforcing a ban on two parents and a former student from attending school board meetings.

ACLU of Pa. Sues Pitt on Behalf of Suspended Palestinian Rights Student Club

ACLU-PA filed a federal free speech lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh on behalf of Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt (SJP-Pitt), a student organization recently placed on an indefinite, interim suspension by the school in apparent retaliation for the club’s political speech.