Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements

District Court Holds Defendants in Civil Contempt and Orders Sanctions in J.L., et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al.

2/14/20 AILA Doc. No. 19061808. Special Immigrant Juveniles

February 14, 2020

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found that the defendants had violated the court’s October 24, 2018, preliminary injunction by removing certain class members—five individuals with pending Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitions—and by failing to notify the plaintiffs’ counsel of those removals. Accordingly, the court held all defendants—Ken Cuccinelli, Chad Wolf, Robert Cowan, DHS, and USCIS—in civil contempt, and among other things, ordered that the removed individuals be returned to the United States by February 29, 2020. The court also ordered the defendants to file a status report explaining their compliance by March 6, 2020. (J.L., et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al., 2/14/20)

December 18, 2019

On December 18, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California approved a settlement of the claims brought in J.L., et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al..

Final Settlement Agreement - J.L. v. Cuccinelli, 18-CV-4914 (N.D. Cal.)

Notice of Final Class Action Settlement - J.L. v. Cuccinelli, 18-CV-4914 (N.D. Cal.)

November 1, 2019

USCIS released a proposed settlement agreement in the class action lawsuit, J.L., et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Individuals who received a guardianship order from the California Probate Court after reaching the age of 18 and before reaching the age of 21 and then filed or will file for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification, may be part of this settlement.

Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement – J.L. v. Cuccinelli, 18-CV-4914 (N.D. Cal.)

March 12, 2019

USCIS issued a class notice in J.L., et al v. Cissna, et al, a class action lawsuit involving individuals who received a guardianship order from the California Probate Court after the individual reached the age of 18 and then filed or will file for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.

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