The Legal Aid Society filed this lawsuit on behalf of minor children who were forcibly separated from their parents and denied access to counsel during the first Trump administration. On the eve of the case’s filing, we obtained a temporary restraining order which prevented ICE from removing our minor clients from New York State. The case was subsequently consolidated with Ms. L v. ICE, a class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, and was transferred to the Southern District of California.

In 2023, the ACLU and the federal government reached a settlement agreement in Ms. L which set new standards to limit family separations, and which provided for continued reunifications, immigration relief, and certain supportive services for separated families, including behavioral health services, targeted legal support related to immigration claims, limited housing assistance, and medical coverage.