Thread by @immcouncil

We just filed a lawsuit to close the immigration courts and continue time-sensitive cases through remote technologies.

americanimmigrationcouncil.org/litigation/sto…

Health officials have told us to stay home and practice social distancing to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

However, the government is ignoring this advice.

Thousands of in-person court hearings continue and nearly 40,000 detainees are held in close quarters.

The American Immigration Council trains volunteer attorneys to represent people in detention through the Immigration Justice Campaign.

We know firsthand that there are real concerns about due process for migrants in this moment—in addition to the public health risks.

That’s why we just filed a lawsuit to close the immigration courts and continue time-sensitive cases through remote technologies.

The Campaign—alongside @AILANational—is represented by our fellow plaintiffs at @NIPNLG.

The lawsuit demands that the government:

• Suspend in-person hearings for the duration of the pandemic.

• Allow for remote court appearance instead.

• Guarantee secure ways for attorneys and detained clients to speak to each other.

If the government will not do this on their own, we will use all tools at our disposal to force their hand.

Reducing the number of people in detention and using remote technologies will preserve access to counsel and protect all of our health—regardless of immigration status.