Court Cases
Dora v. Sessions
Case Overview
Muslim Advocates, along with the Legal Aid Justice Center and the law firm of Eversheds & Sutherland, LLP, filed a lawsuit on behalf of 29 plaintiffs forcibly separated from their children under the Trump administration’s cruel and inhumane “zero tolerance” policy. The Trump administration wrongfully deprived the plaintiffs of their right to apply for asylum by forcing them through “credible fear interviews” while they were traumatized and incapable of participating in those interviews.
Because of the disabling trauma from the federal government’s family separation and zero tolerance policies, parents seeking asylum were confused, disoriented, unable to focus on anything other than the whereabouts and well-being of their children, and unable to adequately articulate their experiences to the interviewing officers. As a result, the plaintiffs received negative credible fear determinations, and as a result faced immediate deportation. The complaint, among other things, sought a court order compelling the federal government to vacate separated parents’ negative credible fear determinations and to provide them a new opportunity for a credible fear interview with reasonable accommodations for the psychological conditions caused by forcible family separation.
Together with counsel for plaintiffs in two related family separation cases, Ms. L v. ICE and MMM v. Sessions, Muslim Advocates and its co-counsel negotiated a global settlement agreement with the government in order to provide separated families a real chance at seeking asylum in the United States. Among other things, the agreement commits the government to reviewing the credible fear determinations of the Dora plaintiffs and all other similarly-situated parents. The Dora claims have been added to the Ms. L case in California, and Muslim Advocates, LAJC, and Eversheds & Sutherland have been appointed class counsel for the asylum-seeking parents.
Case Details
Date filed: August 17, 2018
Court(s): United States District Court for the District of Columbia; United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Co-Counsel: Legal Aid Justice Center; Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
The Latest
Civil Rights Groups Settle Case Against Trump Administration’s Inhumane Family Separation Policies
Parents of Children Forcibly Separated While Seeking Asylum File Suit Against U.S. Government
Settlement Giving Family Separation Victims Another Chance at Asylum Receives Preliminary Approval
Related Documents
Document
Notice and Waiver Form
July 23, 2019
Court Filing
Order re Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement for Class Members Who Have Not Submitted Executed Waiver Forms
February 22, 2019
Court Filing
Plaintiffs’ Reply in Support of Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement for Class Members Who Have Not Submitted Executed Waiver Forms
February 13, 2019
Court Filing
Plaintiffs’ Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement for Class Members Who Have Not Submitted Executed Waiver Forms
January 10, 2019
Court Filing
Order Certifying Settlement Classes and Granting Final Approval of Class Action Settlement
November 15, 2018
Court Filing
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Final Approval of Class Action Settlement
November 9, 2018
Court Filing
Order re Emergency Motion to Require Implementation of Settlement Agreement
October 18, 2018
Court Filing
Plaintiffs’ Emergency Motion to Require Implementation of Settlement Agreement
October 18, 2018
Court Filing
Complaint
August 17, 2018