Four immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches no longer face deportation

Joel Rose for NPR reports on the outcome of a lawsuit in which Alina Das, the co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law assisted:

“A group of undocumented immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches to avoid deportation has reached a settlement with the Biden administration that will allow the women to stay in the U.S., at least for now.

During the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued massive civil fines against these immigrants — nearly half a million dollars, in some cases — as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. But the Biden administration reversed course and stopped issuing fines.

Now the administration is going a step further: It’s agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the four women who allege that they were targeted for retaliation because they spoke out publicly about their cases. The women took sanctuary in churches in Texas, Utah, Ohio and Virginia.”

“This was never about collecting money,” said Alina Das, the co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law, which helped bring the lawsuit.

“These women spoke out against a horrific policy, and they spoke out not only for themselves, but for others,” Das said in an interview with NPR. “Now they’re finally being given the opportunity for a clean slate to be free from the threat of deportation.”

Under the settlement made public on Wednesday, the Biden administration has agreed to give temporary protection from deportation for three years to a group of immigrants.

KJ