Hells Angels Sue over Visa Denials
The BLT: Blog of Legal Times reports that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, in a lawsuit filed last week, challenged policies that bar foreign members from traveling to the United States. Hells Angels describes itself as a club for motorcycle enthusiasts, but it is classified as a criminal organization by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Angel claims that the “known criminal organization” designation is not warranted and that federal officials have a blanket policy of denying visas to foreign members that conflicts with federal immigration laws. The legal claim is that the Immigration & Nationality Act requires individual-specific visa decisions.
Hells Angels is being represented by Margaret Wong of Margaret Wong & Associates in Cleveland, Ohio, and Matthew Robinson of Robinson & Brandt in Covington, Ky. Although press reports previously suggested that the case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, Judge Gladys Kessler has the case. Download HAMC Docket Report
KJ