Court Cases

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.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has filed a federal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties over the treatment of a Mauritanian national, Mr. Niang, who is seeking political asylum in the United States.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has filed a federal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties over inhumane conditions at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center.

On October 28, 2021, the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the law firm Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP filed a lawsuit against the Clearfield County commissioners for failing to follow state law when the commissioners voted to approve contracts with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).