Our firm is pleased to share a significant pro bono victory: associate Austin Martin recently secured the immediate release of a client who had been held in immigration detention for eight months with no foreseeable end to his confinement.
The client, a longtime resident of the United States, had lived and worked in his community for decades and a devoted member of his local faith community. Despite these deep ties, he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and held in prolonged detention without a meaningful prospect of removal.
Austin filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal court challenging the lawfulness of his client’s continued detention under the Due Process Clause. To safeguard the client’s rights during the litigation, Austin also filed a motion for preliminary injunctive relief seeking to prevent ICE from transferring the client to another facility without prior notice to counsel. He later replied to the government’s response, pressing the constitutional arguments that the detention had become unreasonable and indefinite, and that the government could not show any concrete plans for removal.
The court agreed. It granted the habeas petition and ordered the client’s immediate release.
“It was a privilege to represent our client and help him win back his freedom,” Austin said. “For decades, he lived as a peaceful, productive member of society and a devout member of his faith community. After eight months of potentially indefinite detention, the court recognized that his constitutional rights were being violated every day he sat in custody without a foreseeable end date. Our client is grateful to be back home, and I am proud to have helped.”
The case reflects our firm’s commitment to providing skilled, vigorous representation to those who need it most. We are proud of Austin’s work and of the result he achieved for his client.