A Law360 report describes how Keker, Van Nest & Peters partner Erin Meyer and associates Jonhatan Aragon and Kayla Crowell acted quickly to secure the release of two asylum seekers unlawfully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and save them from being deported.
On July 24, Meyer and Aragon filed a habeas petition on behalf of a Colombian asylum seeker who had been arrested without a warrant outside her immigration court hearing in San Francisco. Her brother ran to the closest law offices he could find, which happened to be Keker’s, and pleaded for help using a translation app. Working quickly, Meyer and Aragon secured a federal judge’s order for release, but ICE had flown the client to Honolulu. Aragon was able to negotiate her return, and the client was with her family in San Francisco less than 48 hours after her arrest.
The case demonstrated how crucial it is for attorneys to act fast when working on cases involving ICE.
"Time is absolutely of the essence, because ICE is grabbing people," Meyer said.
Weeks later, Meyer and Crowell won the release of Syrian asylum seeker, who was also taken from her immigration hearing, handcuffed at the wrists, ankles, and waist, loaded on a bus and driven hours to the at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center, a detention facility, reported Law360.
On August 8, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California ordered the client’s release, finding that her detention violated her constitutional rights.
"We encourage every lawyer who is able to consider taking cases like these, to file a habeas petition and [temporary restraining orders] to reunite people with their families. It is meaningful work that literally saves lives," Meyer said.
Read more at Law360.