Prison Phone Justice

Case 3:18-cv-01098-SI

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON

INNOVATION LAW LAB and LUIS
JAVIER SANCHEZ GONZALEZ by
XOCHITL RAMOS VALENCIA as next
friend,

Case No. 3:18-cv-01098-SI
OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

Plaintiffs-Petitioners,
v.
KIRSTJEN NIELSEN, Secretary,
Department of Homeland Security;
THOMAS HOMAN, Acting Director,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE); ELIZABETH GODFREY, Acting
Field Office Director, Seattle Field Office of
ICE; JEFFERSON BEAUREGARD
SESSIONS, III, U.S. Attorney General;
HUGH J. HURWITZ, Acting Director,
Federal Bureau of Prisons; JOSIAS
SALAZAR, Warden, FCI Sheridan Medium
Security Prison; in their official capacities
only,
Defendants-Respondents.
Keith Ketterling and Nadia H. Dahab, STOLL STOLL BERNE LOKTING & SHLACHTER
PC, 29 SW Oak St., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204. Mathew W. dos Santos and Kelly K. Simon,
ACLU FOUNDATION OF OREGON, INC., PO Box 40585 Portland, OR 97240. Of Attorneys
for Plaintiffs-Petitioners.

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Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney, and Dianne Schweiner, Assistant United States
Attorney, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON, 1000 SW Third
Avenue, Suite 600, Portland, OR 97204. Chad A. Readler, Acting Assistant Attorney General;
William C. Peachey, Director; Jeffrey S. Robins, Assistant Director; and Ubaid ul-Haq, Trial
Attorney, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, CIVIL DIVISION, OFFICE OF IMMIGRATION
LITIGATION, PO Box 868, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, D.C. 20044. Of Attorneys for
Defendants-Respondents.
Lisa Hay, Federal Public Defender, and Stephen R. Sady, Chief Deputy Federal Defender,
FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON, 101 SW Main Street,
Suite 1700, Portland, OR 97204. Amica Curiae.
Michael H. Simon, District Judge.
We are a nation under law, and the rule of law is one of our most cherished values. The
right to counsel, which allows a person to receive timely legal advice, is firmly entrenched in the
concept of due process and protected by the Fifth Amendment against governmental
interference. Further, this right is available to everyone in the United States, not just citizens or
others who are here lawfully. In this case, Plaintiffs assert that the government is interfering with
the rights of persons being civilly detained under our complex immigration laws from receiving
the benefits of the right to counsel. No request is being made to provide legal counsel at taxpayer
expense. The only relief sought is to enjoin the government from continuing to interfere with a
civil immigrant detainee’s right to counsel when there are volunteer attorneys, expert in
immigration matters, ready, willing, and able to provide legal assistance without charge. For the
reasons that follow, the Court grants the requested relief.
Plaintiffs Innovation Law Law (“Law Lab”) and Luis Javier Sanchez Gonzalez, by
Xochitl Ramos Valencia as next friend (“Sanchez Gonzalez”) bring this action challenging the
policies and practices related to immigrant detainees held at the Federal Detention Center in
Sheridan, Oregon (“FDC Sheridan”). Defendants are officials with the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (“DHS”), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), the Federal

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Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”), and the U.S. Department of Justice. Plaintiffs seek a temporary
restraining order (“TRO”) requiring Defendants to, among other things: (1) provide adequate
attorney visitation and telephone access for immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan; (2) permit
Law Lab to conduct “know your rights” (“KYR”) training for detainees; and (3) bar Defendants
from proceeding with detainees’ interviews, cases, or deportations until after the detainees have
had a full and fair an opportunity meaningfully to consult with an attorney and attend KYR
training conducted by Law Lab. On June 25, 2018, the Court held a hearing on Plaintiffs’
motion. Plaintiffs’ motion for TRO is granted.
STANDARDS
In deciding whether to grant a motion for TRO, courts look to substantially the same
factors that apply to a court’s decision on whether to issue a preliminary injunction. See
Stuhlbarg Int’l Sales Co. v. John D. Brushy & Co., 240 F.3d 832, 839 n.7 (9th Cir. 2001). A
preliminary injunction is an “extraordinary remedy that may only be awarded upon a clear
showing that the plaintiff is entitled to such relief.” Winter v. Natural Res. Def. Council, 555
U.S. 7, 22 (2008). A plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction generally must show that: (1) the
plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits; (2) the plaintiff is likely to suffer irreparable harm in
the absence of preliminary relief; (3) the balance of equities tips in favor of the plaintiff; and (4)
an injunction is in the public interest. Winter, 555 U.S. at 20 (rejecting the Ninth Circuit’s earlier
rule that the mere “possibility” of irreparable harm, as opposed to its likelihood, was sufficient,
in some circumstances, to justify a preliminary injunction).
The Supreme Court’s decision in Winter, however, did not disturb the Ninth Circuit’s
alternative “serious questions” test. Alliance for the Wild Rockies v. Cottrell, 632 F.3d 1127,
1131-32 (9th Cir. 2011). Under this test, “‘serious questions going to the merits’ and a hardship
balance that tips sharply toward the plaintiff can support issuance of an injunction, assuming the
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other two elements of the Winter test are also met.” Id. at 1132. Thus, a temporary restraining
order or a preliminary injunction may be granted “if there is a likelihood of irreparable injury to
plaintiff; there are serious questions going to the merits; the balance of hardships tips sharply in
favor of the plaintiff; and the injunction is in the public interest.” M.R. v. Dreyfus, 697 F.3d 706,
725 (9th Cir. 2012) (citing Cottrell).
A temporary restraining order is necessarily of a shorter and more limited duration than a
preliminary injunction.1 Thus, the application of the relevant factors may differ, depending on
whether the court is considering a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction.2
Indeed, the two factors most likely to be affected by whether the motion at issue is for a TRO or
a preliminary injunction are the “balancing of the equities among the parties” and “the public
interest.”
Finally, the already high standard for granting a TRO or preliminary injunction is further
heightened when the type of injunction sought is a “mandatory injunction.” Garcia v. Google,
Inc., 786 F.3d 733, 740 (9th Cir. 2015) (noting that the burden is “doubly demanding” for a
mandatory injunction). To obtain a mandatory injunction, a plaintiff must “establish that the law

1

The duration of a temporary restraining order issued without notice may not exceed 14
days but may be extended once for an additional 14 days for good cause; in addition, the reasons
for such an extension must be entered in the record. Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b)(2). When a temporary
restraining order is issued with notice and after a hearing, however, the 14-day limit for such
orders issued without notice does not apply. See Horn Abbot Ltd. v. Sarsaparilla Ltd., 601 F.
Supp. 360, 368 n.12 (N.D. Ill. 1984). Nevertheless, absent consent of the parties, “[a] court may
not extend a ‘TRO’ indefinitely, even upon notice and a hearing.” Id. Accordingly, unless the
parties agree otherwise, a court should schedule a preliminary injunction hearing to occur not
later than 28 days after the date that the court first issues a temporary restraining order.
2

A preliminary injunction also is of limited duration because it may not extend beyond
the life of the lawsuit. That is the role of a permanent injunction, which a court may enter as part
of a final judgment, when appropriate. A preliminary injunction, however, may last for months,
if not years, while the lawsuit progresses toward its conclusion.

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and facts clearly favor her position, not simply that she is likely to succeed.” Id. (emphasis in
original). As explained by the Ninth Circuit:
A preliminary injunction can take two forms. A prohibitory
injunction prohibits a party from taking action and “preserve[s] the
status quo pending a determination of the action on the merits.”
Chalk v. U.S. Dist. Court, 840 F.2d 701, 704 (9th Cir. 1988); see
also Heckler v. Lopez, 463 U.S. 1328, 1333 (1983) (a prohibitory
injunction “freezes the positions of the parties until the court can
hear the case on the merits”). A mandatory injunction orders a
responsible party to take action. A mandatory injunction goes well
beyond simply maintaining the status quo [p]endente lite [and] is
particularly disfavored. In general, mandatory injunctions are not
granted unless extreme or very serious damage will result and are
not issued in doubtful cases or where the injury complained of is
capable of compensation in damages.
The status quo ante litem referenced in Chalk means the last,
uncontested status which preceded the pending controversy.
Marlyn Nutraceuticals, Inc. v. Mucos Pharma GmbH & Co., 571 F.3d 873, 878-79 (9th
Cir. 2009) (quotation marks and citation omitted) (alterations in original).
FINDINGS OF FACT
Based on the evidence presented by the parties, the Court finds the following facts are
more likely true than not:
1.

On May 31, 2018, ICE transferred 124 immigrant men to FDC Sheridan for civil

detention. ECF 14-1 (Newman Decl.) ¶ 4. Approximately 121 immigrant detainees remain at that
location. Id. The detainees are housed in two units, at least one of which also houses inmates of
the federal prison Id. ¶ 6. According to Defendants, both social and legal visits currently take
place each Monday through Friday from 8:30 until 11:30 a.m. for inmates and from 12:00
until 3:00 p.m. for immigrant detainees. Id. ¶ 8. Defendants add that by June 27, 2018, they
intend to provide legal visitation for all pretrial/pre-sentence and civil detainees from 8:30 a.m.
until 3:00 p.m, Monday through Friday, on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Id. Many of the

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detainees have come to the United States to request asylum. See, e.g., ECF 3 (Manning Decl.)
¶ 26; ECF 6 (Garcia Decl.) ¶ 5.
2.

Plaintiff Law Lab is a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of

noncitizens in the United States. Law Lab seeks to provide KYR training sessions, which cover
the immigration system and detainees’ rights, to civil detainees at FDC Sheridan. Law Lab also
seeks to provide legal representation without charge (pro bono) to every unrepresented civil
detainee at FDC Sheridan who requests legal representation. Law Lab provides representation to
noncitizens, in part, through its Oregon-based network of 125 private, pro bono attorneys who
have been trained in asylum and removal defense. ECF 3 (Manning Decl.) ¶ 2.
3.

Stephen W. Manning (“Manning”) is the Executive Director of Law Lab. Law

Lab, through Manning, designed a pro bono representation project to facilitate access to, and
legal representation of, the FDC Sheridan immigrant detainees. Law Lab’s pro bono
representation project seeks to provide a minimum of three attorney contacts with each detainee
who requests legal representation, consisting of: (1) a KYR group orientation that provides an
overview of immigration relief; (2) an individualized screening with a trained advocate; and (3)
an individualized client conference. Law Lab determined that at least three know-your-rights
orientations of 60 to 90 minutes duration is needed adequately to orient all interested FDC
Sheridan immigrant detainees on their rights. Id. ¶ 8.
4.

On June 8, 2018, Manning established a hotline with a local telephone number to

allow anyone detained as a civil immigrant detainee to call Law Lab for free legal assistance. Id.
¶ 12. The hotline number was provided to the immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan by members
of the Mexican Consulate who visited Mexican nationals at FDC Sheridan on June 14, 2018. Id.
¶ 14. Despite having been provided the toll-free number, detainees have not been able to place

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free legal phone calls because free phone calls are not allowed by FDC Sheridan’s telephone
system. Id. ¶ 17.
5.

Also on June 8, 2018, Manning asked Philip Smith (“Smith”), a local immigration

attorney, to provide pro bono legal representation for a detainee whose partner had asked Law
Lab to represent the detainee. On Saturday, June 9, 2018, Smith called FDC Sheridan to arrange
a meeting with his client, the detainee. Smith was told that attorney visits are normally permitted
seven days a week and could be arranged through a counselor. Smith was further told that a
counselor would be on duty on Sunday, June 10, 2018. Smith also left a telephone message with
the person in charge of the unit where immigrant detainees were being held, in which he
identified himself and provided his phone number and his client’s identifying information. ECF 8
(Smith Decl.) ¶ 2-4.
6.

On Sunday, June 10, 2018, Smith traveled one and one-half hours to FDC

Sheridan. Upon arrival at the visitation center, Smith identified himself as an immigration
attorney and provided his client’s identification information. FDC Sheridan security officers
denied Smith entry, telling him that visits needed to be scheduled in advance and were permitted
only Monday through Friday. The supervising security officer also said that an appointment for
one of the three attorney visitation rooms was required, and that such appointments were
available only Monday through Friday. Smith asked if he could meet with his client in the public
visitation area and was told that he could not. Smith left without meeting his client. Id. ¶ 6-10.
7.

On June 14, 2018, Law Lab received referrals from Lisa Hay, the Federal Public

Defender for the District of Oregon, for 13 FDC Sheridan immigrant detainees who had
requested an immigration attorney. ECF 3 ¶ 15-16. An attorney who visited FDC Sheridan as

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part of the visit of the Mexican Consulate also reported that each detainee with whom he had met
had requested asylum relief and legal representation. ECF 6 (Garcia Decl.) ¶ 5, 11.
8.

Law Lab attorneys have continued to be denied access to civil immigrant

detainees at FDC Sheridan. Permission that had been granted for a legal visit on Friday,
June 15, 2018, was revoked on the morning of June 15 after Law Lab’s legal team had already
departed for FDC Sheridan. The legal team was told that the visit could occur only at some point
later that evening, and that weekend access was also denied. ECF 3 ¶ 19-20 (Manning Decl.).
9.

While attempting to make arrangements for a legal visit on the next available non-

weekend day, Monday, June 18, 2018, Manning was told that attorney visitation would be
limited to a single room for three hours per day, Monday through Friday, that no immigration
library materials were available, and that the free direct call platform was not, and had not been,
operational. Id. ¶ 21.
10.

On Monday, June 18, 2018, Law Lab attorneys again had their permission to visit

nine detainees revoked by FDC Sheridan at the last minute, despite earlier assurances that they
could visit on that day. The attorneys were told by an ICE official that legal visitations would
only occur on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Id. ¶ 22.
11.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, attorney Chelsea Strautman visited FDC Sheridan

to meet with immigrant detainees. ECF 9 (Strautman Decl.) ¶ 5. She identified herself as an
attorney who was there to offer legal representation to immigrant detainees who requested access
to counsel. Id. ¶ 3. ICE denied her access. Id. ¶ 5-6. On Thursday, June 21, 2018, Strautman and
two other attorneys visited FDC Sheridan seeking to provide pro bono legal representation to
immigrant detainees who had requested access to counsel through Law Lab’s pro bono program.

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These attorneys identified themselves as attorneys but were denied access. ECF 9 (Strautman
Decl.) ¶ 7-8; ECF 7 (Philbaum Decl.) ¶ 5; ECF 5 (Baxter-Neal Decl.) ¶ 5.
12.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on June 21, 2018, two Law Lab lawyers returned to FDC

Sheridan to present KYR training. A Law Lab attorney had confirmed the day before, with
Defendant Elizabeth Godfrey, the Acting Field Office Director in the Seattle Field Office of ICE,
that Law Lab’s pro bono team was authorized to provide KYR training at FDC Sheridan from
4:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. ECF 4 (Sinlapasai Decl.) ¶ 12. BOP
officers at FDC Sheridan, however, turned away the attorneys and would not let them conduct
their KYR training. ECF 7 (Philbaum Decl.) ¶ 10.
13.

At least 50 detainees have requested legal representation from Law Lab’s pro

bono project. ECF 3 (Manning Decl.) ¶ 25-27. Only one attorney associated with the project,
however, has been able to meet with his client, and that client has since been transferred by ICE
from FDC Sheridan to the North West Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, outside of the
District of Oregon. Id. ¶ 28.
14.

Plaintiff Sanchez Gonzalez is currently detained at FDC Sheridan. He is unable to

file a complaint on his own due to lack of access to legal counsel. His domestic partner of ten
years, Xochitl Ramos Valencia, has requested pro bono legal representation from Law Lab on his
behalf. Law Lab attorneys have twice attempted to meet with Sanchez Gonzalez, including on
June 21, 2018, but were denied access both times. Id. ¶ 33-34.
15.

“Credible fear” interviews for immigrant detainees seeking asylum are scheduled

to begin at FDC Sheridan on June 28, 2018. ECF 14-2 (Heaton Decl.) ¶ 8.
16.

Removal proceedings for the 121 immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan have not

yet commenced. Further, none of these immigrant detainees have been served with an

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administrative summons known as a “Notice to Appear,” which is how a removal proceeding
typically begins.
17.

On June 8, 2018, Chief Judge Michael W. Mosman of the U.S. District Court for

the District of Oregon authorized the Federal Public Defender of Oregon to consult with the
immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan regarding the legality of their detention. ECF 18 at 8.
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction
Defendants argue that the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), as amended,
removes subject matter jurisdiction from federal district courts and, thus, this Court has no
jurisdiction over this action. This removal of subject matter jurisdiction, however, only applies to
removal proceedings. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(9) and 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(5), “claims that ‘arise
from’ removal proceedings . . . must be channeled through the [petition for review] process.”
J.E.F.M. v. Lynch, 837 F.3d 1026, 1032 (9th Cir. 2016). In addition, when claims are
“inextricably linked” to removal proceedings, they may not be heard by federal district courts.
Martinez v. Napolitano, 704 F.3d 620, 623 (9th Cir. 2012). Such claims may only be raised
before a federal circuit court on a petition for review (“PFR”) of a final removal order.
J.E.F.M., 837 F.3d at 1032. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g), federal courts also lack jurisdiction to
hear challenges to the Attorney General’s “decision or action to commence [removal]
proceedings, adjudicate cases, or execute removal orders.” Reno v. American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Comm., 525 U.S. 471, 482 (1999). “[C]laims that are independent of or collateral
to the removal process,” however, are excluded from the PFR process and, thus, may be heard in
federal district courts. Id.; see also Nadarajah v. Gonzales, 443 F.3d 1069, 1075-76 (9th Cir.
2006) (holding that the district court had jurisdiction over a habeas corpus petition when the
petition did not involve a final order of removal).
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In J.E.F.M., the Ninth Circuit held that the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction
over immigrant children’s claims to court-appointed counsel because such claims arose from
removal proceedings. 837 F.3d at 1033. The Ninth Circuit noted that such claims are “bound up
in and an inextricable part of the administrative process.” Id. The court also observed that the
jurisdiction-stripping provisions of the INA were intended to “channel all claims arising from
removal proceedings, including right-to-counsel claims, to the federal courts of appeals and
bypass the district courts.” Id.
Plaintiffs in the pending case, however, do not challenge the detainees’ removal
proceedings because formal removal proceedings have not commenced. Rather, Plaintiffs
challenge ICE and BOP procedures and policies relating to the conditions of the civil immigrant
detainees’ pre-hearing confinement. J.E.F.M. did not address whether district courts have
jurisdiction over constitutional claims by immigrant detainees whose removal proceedings have
not yet commenced. In fact, the district court in J.E.F.M. had already dismissed all parties
“against whom removal proceedings have not yet been initiated,” explaining that their claims for
court-appointed counsel in removal proceedings were not ripe because their “removal
proceedings may never be commenced.” Id. at 1030. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling in J.E.F.M.,
therefore, does not preclude this Court from hearing claims from civil immigrant detainees
whose removal proceedings have not yet been initiated. See also Jennings v. Rodriquez, 138 S.
Ct. 830, 840 (2018) (holding that 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(9) does not deprive a district court of
jurisdiction to hear a challenge to an alien’s indefinite detention, even when the purpose of the
detention is to lead ultimately to removal proceedings).
Moreover, Plaintiffs request a TRO to protect each immigrant civil detainee’s right to
access attorneys pending their asylum proceedings. Although an alien’s asylum status likely will

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be relevant to the later question of removal, asylum proceedings, which are governed by 8 U.S.C.
§ 1158, are distinct from removal proceedings, which are governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1229a. The
plain text of 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(9), 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(5), and the Ninth Circuit’s holding in
J.E.F.M. explicitly limits the mandatory PFR process to claims arising from removal
proceedings. Thus, this Court has subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claims, as presented
in the pending motion.
Finally, even if Plaintiffs’ claims were subject to the INA’s jurisdiction-stripping
provisions, there is a serious question as to whether it would be futile to require Plaintiffs to
administratively exhaust their constitutional claims through the petition for review process.
Administrative exhaustion is not required when exhaustion would be futile. Albino v. Baca, 747
F.3d 1162, 1172 (9th Cir. 2014). On June 24, 2018, President Donald J. Trump announced, with
regard to undocumented immigrants, that “[w]hen somebody comes in, we must immediately,
with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came.” The position of the
United States Government appears to be that aliens are not entitled to due process in immigration
proceedings.3 There is, therefore, reason to believe that Plaintiffs’ claims alleging due process
violations are unlikely to be given a full and fair hearing before immigration judges who fall
under the authority of the executive branch.
B. Standing
Defendant argues that the requested TRO is overbroad because neither Gonzalez nor Law
Lab has standing to litigate on behalf of other detainees at FDC Sheridan who are not parties to
3

The Federal Government previously has taken the position that tweets from the Twitter
account “@realDonaldTrump” are official presidential statements. See James Madison Project v.
Department of Justice, et al, No. 1:17-cv-00144, Def. Supp. Mem. at 4 (ECF No. 29) (D.D.C.
Nov. 13, 2017) (“[T]he government is treating the President’s statements to which plaintiffs
point—whether by tweet, speech or interview—as official statements of the President of the
United States.”).

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this lawsuit. To bring an action on the behalf of third parties, however, “[t]he litigant must have
suffered an ‘injury in fact,’ thus giving him or her a ‘sufficiently concrete interest’ in the
outcome of the issue in dispute; the litigant must have a close relation to the third party; and
there must exist some hindrance to the third party’s ability to protect his or her own interests.”
Powers v. Ohio, 499 U.S. 400, 410-11 (1991).
Law Lab meets these requirements. Law Lab’s stated mission is to advocate on behalf of
and provide legal representation to noncitizens in the United States. In furtherance of this
mission, they have undertaken considerable effort to provide pro bono legal representation to the
FDC Sheridan immigrant detainees. The alleged policies, procedures, and actions at FDC
Sheridan, however, have prevented Law Lab from fulfilling its mission of advocating on behalf
of noncitizens, and render futile its efforts to coordinate pro bono legal representation. The
challenged policies and procedures also have resulted in the diversion of Law Lab resources, as
attorneys have repeatedly traveled to FDC Sheridan only to be turned away, and have established
a toll-free hotline for detainees that detainees have not been able to access or use. Such facts
sufficiently establish that Law Lab has suffered injury in fact.
Plaintiffs also have demonstrated that Law Lab has a sufficiently close relationship with
the detainees to advocate on their behalf. Plaintiffs have submitted affidavits indicating that at
least 50 detainees at FDC Sheridan have requested representation from Law Lab. The Federal
Public Defender (“FPD”), as amica curiae, also states that at least 64 detainees have
communicated their requests for immigration representation, which the FPD cannot provide, to
FPD staff attorneys. ECF 18. These numerous requests from immigrant civil detainees and FDC
Sheridan sufficiently demonstrate that Law Lab has a close relation to the detainees, even if
Defendants’ policies, practices, and actions have prevented Law Lab attorneys from formalizing

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their legal relationship with many of those detainees. Finally, and perhaps most obviously, the
circumstances of the detainees’ confinement—specifically, the lack of access to immigration
lawyers that forms the foundation of this case—poses a significant hindrance to the detainees’
ability to advocate on their own behalf, as do the foreign language barriers faced by many of the
civil detainees. Plaintiffs, thus, have established that they have standing in this case sufficient to
request the relief they are seeking on a temporary or preliminary basis.
C. Analysis of Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits
Plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their third claim, which
alleges a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The Court need not
decide at this stage of the litigation whether Plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success on the
merits regarding their other constitutional and statutory claims.
The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment guarantees to aliens the right to counsel
at their own expense for immigration hearings. See, e.g., Tawadrus v. Ashcroft, 364 F.3d 1099,
1103 (9th Cir. 2004) (“Although there is no Sixth Amendment right to counsel in an immigration
hearing, Congress has recognized it among the rights stemming from the Fifth Amendment
guarantee of due process that adhere to individuals that are subject to removal hearings.”)
(emphasis added); Colindres-Aguilar v. INS, 819 F.2d 259, 261 n.1 (9th Cir. 1987) (“Petitioner’s
right to counsel . . . is a right protected by the fifth amendment due process requirement of a full
and fair hearing.”).
The right to counsel in immigration proceedings, including asylum proceedings, requires
that an alien be provided “reasonable time to locate counsel and permit counsel to prepare for the
hearing.” Biwot v. Gonzales, 403 F.3d 1094, 1098 (9th Cir. 2005). The Ninth Circuit has upheld
mandatory injunctions designed to remedy government practices when the “cumulative effect” of
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such practices “was to prevent aliens from contacting counsel and receiving any legal advice.”
Orantes-Hernandez v. Thornburgh, 919 F.2d 549, 565 (9th Cir. 1990). Government practices
that effectively deny access to counsel include the detention of aliens far from where potential or
existing counsel was located, limited attorney visitation hours, and the processing of aliens at
locations where telephones were not available to them. Id. at 565-67.
Plaintiffs have presented sufficient evidence of government practices at FDC Sheridan
that are nearly identical to the enjoined practices at issue in Orantes-Hernandez. Attorneys
associated with Law Lab’s immigrant detainee representation project have been repeatedly
denied access to FDC Sheridan either to perform KYR training or to meet with clients who have
retained their services through friends and family. Officials at FDC Sheridan have given
conflicting and nearly-impossible-to-follow instructions on the availability of legal visitation
hours. See also Nunez v. Bolden, 537 F. Supp. 578, 582 (S.D. Tex. 1982) (holding that a
detention facility regulation prohibiting attorney visits after 3:30 p.m. was unreasonably
restrictive, given the remoteness of the detention facility).
As with the enjoined practices at issue in Orantes-Hernandez, the BOP and ICE attorney
visitation policies and practices have the “cumulative effect” of denying detainees
constitutionally sufficient access to legal assistance. Plaintiffs have demonstrated not only a
likelihood of success on the merits of their Fifth Amendment due process claim, as required for
prohibitory injunctions, but that “the law and facts clearly favor [their] position,” as required to
obtain a mandatory injunction. Garcia, 786 F.3d at 740 (emphasis added).
2. Irreparable Harm, Equities and Public Interest
Plaintiffs also have made a compelling demonstration that they are likely to suffer
immediate irreparable harm in the absence of emergency relief. The Court has concluded that
Defendants are likely violating the immigrant detainees’ constitutional rights, and such violations
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“unquestionably constitute[] irreparable injury.” Elrod v. Burns, 427 U.S. 347, 373 (1976). The
harms likely to arise from the denial of access to legal representation in the context of asylum
applications are particularly concrete and irreparable. The Ninth Circuit has repeatedly
emphasized the complexity of immigration laws and procedures and the difficulty of navigating
immigration proceedings without a lawyer. See, e.g., Baltazar-Alcazar v. I.N.S., 386 F.3d 940,
948 (9th Cir. 2004). The denial of access to legal assistance is likely to lead to the denial of
asylum and ultimately to the deportation of detainees with meritorious asylum claims. Early
representation is particularly important in asylum claims, given the complexity of treaty-based
human rights statutes and the serious harm—including persecution, torture, and death—that may
result if asylum is improperly denied. See Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387, 395 (2012)
(“Federal governance of immigration and alien status is extensive and complex.”); Sessions v.
Dimaya, 138 S. Ct. 1204, 1213 (2018) (noting in the void-for-vagueness context the “grave
nature of deportation,” a “drastic measure” often amounting to lifelong “banishment or exile”).
The equities in this case also tip sharply in favor of emergency relief. Plaintiffs request
only that BOP and ICE actually provide the same degree of access to legal assistance that their
own regulations purport to guarantee. Defendants, thus, cannot show that the requested TRO will
pose an undue burden on their time, resources, or personnel. Moreover, any such burden on
Defendants is more than justified by the need to ensure the fulfillment of Plaintiffs’
constitutional rights and to prevent the improper denial of meritorious asylum applications.
Finally, it is always in the public interest to prevent the violation of a party’s constitutional
rights.

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D. Voluntary Cessation Doctrine
Defendants also argue that the relief that Plaintiffs seek is moot because Defendants
either have already addressed Plaintiffs’ concerns or are taking steps to do so. The Supreme
Court, however, has explained the voluntary cessation doctrine as follows:
It is well settled that a defendant’s voluntary cessation of a
challenged practice does not deprive a federal court of its power to
determine the legality of the practice. Such abandonment is an
important factor bearing on the question whether a court should
exercise its power to enjoin the defendant from renewing the
practice, but that is a matter relating to the exercise rather than the
existence of judicial power.
City of Mesquite v. Aladdin’s Castle, Inc., 455 U.S. 283, 289 (1982). As the Supreme Court
further explained:
“The test for mootness in cases such as this is a stringent one. Mere
voluntary cessation of allegedly illegal conduct does not moot a
case; if it did, the courts would be compelled to leave ‘[t]he
defendant . . . free to return to his old ways.’ A case might become
moot if subsequent events made it absolutely clear that the
allegedly wrongful behavior could not reasonably be expected to
recur. . . . Of course it is still open to appellees to show, on
remand, that the likelihood of further violations is sufficiently
remote to make injunctive relief unnecessary. This is a matter for
the trial judge. But this case is not technically moot[.]”
Id. n.10 (quoting United States v. Concentrated Phosphate Export Ass’n, 393 U.S. 199, 203-04
(1968) (alterations in original) (citations omitted); see also Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw
Envtl. Servs. (TOC), Inc., 528 U.S. 167, 189 (2000) (describing the voluntary cessation doctrine
and citing to City of Mesquite and Concentrated Phosphate).
Defendants represent that beginning on June 27, 2018, they will allow attorneys to
conduct legal visitation with immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan Monday through Friday for
six and one-half hours. Defendants imply that they likely will permit KYR presentations to begin
on June 26, 2018. These presentations will take place outside of normal visitation hours to ensure

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maximum attendance. Defendants also state that they have arranged for two dedicated telephone
lines that the immigrant detainees may use to make free legal, consulate, or crisis calls.
“Credible fear” interviews for asylum applications, however, are scheduled to begin on
June 28, 2018. As recently as June 22, 2018, none of Law Lab’s attorneys had yet met with any
immigrant detainee who are still located at FDC Sheridan. Defendants’ plan for improved
attorney access thus provides for exactly six and one-half hours of attorney visitation before
some detainees will begin their “credible fear” interviews. This is insufficient time to provide
attorney access that satisfies the requirements of due process. Thus, a TRO is necessary, despite
Defendant’s stated efforts to improve their policies and practices, in order to ensure that
detainees will not begin their asylum proceedings with constitutionally inadequate access to their
attorneys.
In addition, the Ninth Circuit has held that “an executive action that is not governed by
any clear or codified procedures cannot moot a claim” and falls within the voluntary cessation
exception. McCormack v. Herzog, 788 F.3d 1017, 1025 (9th Cir. 2015). Although Defendants’
currently assert that they are now allowing the immigrant detainees sufficient due process and
access to counsel, such informal policy changes are insufficient to meet the stringent standards of
the voluntary cessation doctrine need to moot Plaintiffs’ claims. Id.; see also City of Mesquite,
455 U.S. at 289 n.10. As the Ninth Circuit has advised, courts should be less inclined to find
mootness where the “new policy . . . could be easily abandoned or altered in the future” and is
not a “kind of permanent change.” Bell v. City of Boise, 709 F.3d 890, 901 (9th Cir. 2013)
(holding that the defendants “failed to meet their heavy burden to make it ‘absolutely clear that
the allegedly wrongful behavior . . . could not reasonably be expected to recur’” (quoting Friends
of the Earth, 528 U.S. at 189)). Moreover, Defendants’ acknowledged at the TRO hearing that

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this is an “ever-changing” and “fluid” situation, which provides little guarantee that the policies
currently in place will remain in place going forward.
E. Bond
Rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure directs that “[t]he court may issue a
preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order only if the movant gives security in an
amount that the court considers proper to pay the costs and damages sustained by any party
found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(c). Federal courts,
however, have discretion as to the amount of security and may even dispense with the security
requirement altogether. See Johnson v. Couturier, 572 F.3d 1067, 1086 (9th Cir. 2009)
(“‘Rule 65(c) invests the district court with discretion as to the amount of security required, if
any.’” (quoting Jorgensen v. Cassiday, 320 F.3d 906, 919 (9th Cir. 2003))); Save Our Sonoran,
Inc. v. Flowers, 408 F.3d 1113, 1126 (9th Cir. 2005) (“‘The district court has discretion to
dispense with the security requirement, or to request mere nominal security, where requiring
security would effectively deny access to judicial review.’” (quoting Cal. ex rel. Van De Kamp v.
Tahoe Reg'l Planning Agency, 766 F.2d 1319, 1325 (9th Cir. 1985))). The Court has considered
the relative hardships and the likelihood of success on the merits and concludes that to require
any security in this case would be unjust. Thus, the Court waives the requirement of a bond.
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion for Temporary Restraining Order is
GRANTED, and until this Court orders otherwise and except as otherwise expressly permitted
by this Temporary Restraining Order, for the next 28 days, or until such time as the parties agree
in writing to amend, supersede, or terminate this TRO:
1.

For all immigrant detainees currently housed at FDC Sheridan or who may

become housed at FDC Sheridan during the pendency of this Order, Defendants shall not
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proceed with any asylum interview or hearing, including any “credible fear” interview or
screening, for such detainee, nor shall Defendants deport or remove any that detainee, until after
that detainee has had a full and fair opportunity meaningfully to: (1) attend a “know your rights”
training session conducted by Law Lab; and (2) if the detainee has requested representation from
a Law Lab attorney or other legal counsel, consult with that attorney.
2.

For all immigrant detainees currently housed at FDC Sheridan or who may

become housed at FDC Sheridan during the pendency of this Order, Defendants shall not transfer
any such detainee outside of the District of Oregon without: (1) the consent of counsel for that
detainee; or (2) prior leave of the Court.
3.

Defendants shall provide Law Lab’s designated pro bono attorneys, or a

detainee’s otherwise designated counsel of choice, with access to at least two of FDC Sheridan’s
attorney visitation rooms for a minimum of six hours per day, seven days a week (i.e., including
weekends), to perform group “know your rights” training as well as individualized interviews
and consultations for the immigrant detainees at FDC Sheridan. In addition, Defendants shall
make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provided attorney visitation rooms are equipped
with outside-line telephones that have speakerphone capability, to facilitate the attorney’s
consultation with a detainee who does not speak English by calling a telephone-accessible
interpreter or interpretation service. Attorney calls may not be monitored, after Defendants are
satisfied that the telephone call involves an attorney.
4.

Defendants shall install at least four telephone lines in each unit where immigrant

detainees are held, with each line capable of placing free direct calls to legal service providers,
including to Law Lab. Defendants shall permit all immigrant detainees housed at FDC Sheridan
to access these telephones during facility “awake hours,” or between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.,

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whichever is longer, each day of the week, including weekends. Attorney calls may not be
monitored, after Defendants are satisfied that the telephone call involves an attorney.
5.

For all immigrant detainees currently housed at FDC Sheridan or who may

become housed at FDC Sheridan during the pendency of this Order, Defendants shall provide
timely advance written notice to the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of
Oregon of any scheduled “credible fear” interview or screening or any other asylum interview at
FDC Sheridan. In addition, after Defendants have been informed that a particular attorney or
Law Lab represents a specific detainee, Defendants shall provide timely advance written notice
to that attorney or Law Lab, as appropriate, of any scheduled “credible fear” interview or
screening or any other asylum interview at FDC Sheridan for that detainee.
6.

Defendants shall allow attorneys to use laptops in accordance with BOP security

guidelines while performing legal services on behalf of any immigrant detainee at FDC Sheridan.
7.

Defendants shall appropriately allocate ICE and BOP resources, including but not

limited to personnel and equipment, sufficient to accommodate the expanded attorney visiting
time and other requirements of this Order.
8.

The Court will hold a status conference on Monday, July 2, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. in

Courtroom 15B of the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon. Any
party seeking to modify any provision in this Order is requested to file a motion to amend not
later than Sunday, July 1, 2018, at 12 noon. Among other things, at the status conference, the
Court intends to set a hearing date for Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction, as well as
any other periodic status conference(s) that a party may propose.

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CONCLUSION
Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (ECF 2)
is GRANTED as set forth in this Opinion and Order.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED this 25th day of June, 2018 at 11:50 a.m.
/s/ Michael H. Simon
Michael H. Simon
United States District Judge

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