The case of S.V. v. United States serves as a stark illustration of this very point. In this case, a U.S. citizen minor of Guatemalan descent was arrested, detained for over 40 days, and threatened with deportation for nearly a year before immigration authorities acknowledged her to be a U.S. citizen. This unconstitutional and illegal deprivation of liberty of a U.S. citizen child cannot be tolerated. That is why JFON‑NE agreed to represent S.V. in a lawsuit against the U.S. to vindicate those rights and to hold immigration authorities accountable for their failure to follow the law.
We filed our complaint in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska in September of 2016. After months of negotiations, we are happy to report that we just successfully settled this case. Our client has been awarded the financial damages to which she is entitled.
We continue to monitor cases to advocate for immigrant rights.
In this political climate—where anti-immigrant rhetoric has reached a fear pitch—we must not tolerate such injustice. Please consider joining us in these battles by supporting JFON‑NE.
Click on the links below to learn more about the case S.V. v. United States and the efforts of JFON‑NE and our partner organizations to hold immigration authorities accountable.
Complaint filed with U.S. Department of Homeland Security: FTCA Administrative Complaint
Complaint filed with U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska: S.V. v. United States Complaint
This article was written under the Justice For Our Neighbors – Nebraska name. On January 12, 2018, the organization changed its name to Immigrant Legal Center.
