Federal Judge to Consider Motion for Summary Judgment and Preliminary Injunction to Preserve Legal Orientation Programs for Immigrants in Detention

WASHINGTON, DC— A federal district court will hear oral arguments in Amica Center v. the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, at the District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Moss will weigh whether to grant a summary judgment or, alternatively, a preliminary injunction to protect critical legal programs for adults detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigrants facing removal proceedings without an attorney.

WHAT: Federal district court summary judgment and preliminary injunction hearing in Amica v. DOJ

WHO: Laura Sturges, Of Counsel at Gibson Dunn, will give the oral argument.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 11 AM ET / 2 PM PT

WHERE: 

      • In Person: District Court for the District of Columbia, Courtroom 8: 333 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington D.C. 20001

There will be time for questions and photos with nonprofits and attorneys on the Courthouse steps after the hearing.

      • Public Line: Toll Free Number 833-990-9400; Meeting ID: 043781081.(zglw)

Organizational plaintiffs in the suit include American Gateways, American Bar Association, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Estrella del Paso, Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Immigration Center for Women and Children, Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy, National Immigrant Justice Center, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center, and Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network.

BACKGROUND: 

This hearing is a significant step in the lawsuit initiated by immigrant rights organizations in January 2025. It originally challenged a stop-work order that terminated vital legal access programs for immigrants in detention. These legal orientation programs provide essential information to immigrants, many of whom are unrepresented, confused, traumatized, and do not speak English. For those lacking any legal education, these programs are a lifeline, guiding them through their rights and obligations during the immigration process and deportation proceedings. With bipartisan Congressional support, some of these initiatives have been operational for over two decades.

However, the stop-work order and the subsequent termination of these programs threaten to dismantle even the minimum safeguards of due process for immigrants facing removal from the United States. In doing so, they erase the basic semblance of fundamental fairness within our immigration system, leaving many vulnerable individuals without the support they desperately need.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Erin Barnaby, Amica Center
media@amicacenter.org

Greer Millard, Florence Project
gmillard@firrp.org, (602) 795-7407

Tara Tidwell Cullen, National Immigrant Justice Center
ttidwellcullen@immigrantjustice.org, (312) 833-2967

Oliver Bernstein, American Gateways
Oliver@SteadyHandPR.com