Grace v. Barr
What's at Stake
The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, the ACLU of Texas, and the ACLU of D.C. filed a federal lawsuit in August 2018 challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of asylum protections for immigrants fleeing domestic violence and gang brutality.
Summary
At issue are new “expedited removal” policies put forth by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions that instruct asylum adjudicators to “generally” deny such claims, and to apply other erroneous legal standards that particularly burden those fleeing domestic and gang violence. The policies challenged in the lawsuit impact asylum seekers in summary deportation proceedings who can be quickly deported unless they demonstrate to an asylum officer that they have a “credible fear” of persecution in their home country.
The new policies undermine the fundamental human rights of women, contradicting decades of settled domestic and international law recognizing gender-based persecution as a basis for asylum. They also impermissibly undermine claims involving gang violence.
The case, Grace v. Whitaker, was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.
In December, the federal district court in D.C. issued a decision and injunction permanently blocking the government’s general rule against credible fear claims relating to domestic violence or gang violence, as well as multiple other challenged policies.
Legal Documents
-
12/19/2018
Grace v. Whitaker - Opinion
-
12/19/2018
Grace v. Whitaker - Injunction Order
-
08/14/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Daniel Bible Declaration
-
08/14/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Exhibit C - Email to Counsel (REDACTED)
Date Filed: 08/14/2018
-
08/13/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants' Status Report
Date Filed: 08/13/2018
-
08/13/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Declaration of Carmen
-
08/13/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Status Report Responding to Court's Minute Order
Date Filed: 08/13/2018
-
08/13/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Declaration of Christopher Cronen
Date Filed: 08/13/2018
-
08/10/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Status Report
-
08/09/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Order
-
08/09/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Hearing Transcript
-
08/08/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Plaintiffs' Memo in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction
Date Filed: 08/08/2018
-
08/07/2018
Grace v. Sessions - Complaint
-
07/17/2020
Grace v. Barr: Court of Appeals Opinion
-
03/07/2019
Grace v. Whitaker - Practice Advisory
-
01/10/2019
Grace v. Whitaker - USCIS Guidance re Grace Injunction
Date Filed: 01/10/2019
-
01/10/2019
Grace v. Whitaker - EOIR Guidance re Grace Injunction
Date Filed: 01/10/2019
Press Releases
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump Policies Restricting Asylum for Immigrants Fleeing Domestic and Gang Violence
Court Rules Trump Policies Denying Asylum Protections to People Fleeing Domestic and Gang Violence Are Illegal
Federal Court Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Asylum Seekers Challenging Administration Policies
Groups Challenge Trump Administration’s Attacks on Asylum Protections