By Karim Hammam
Legal groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Boston seeking to block the Trump administration's policy of hiding the locations of detainees with final deportation orders.
Policy Change Affects Thousands
The policy, adopted last month, removes detainee locations from ICE's Online Detainee Locator System and instructs staff not to disclose whereabouts. It affects more than 16,000 of the nearly 69,000 detainees in ICE custody.
Legal Groups Argue Violation of Rights
The lawsuit, filed by four organizations including Greater Boston Legal Services, argues the change interferes with immigration lawyers' ability to locate and represent clients, violating the Administrative Procedure Act and the First Amendment.
"No one should be denied a meaningful opportunity to defend their rights because the government has made it impossible for their lawyer to find them," said Jacquelynne Bowman, executive director of Greater Boston Legal Services.
Impact on Legal Representation
Since the change, lawyers report inability to find clients, long wait times on ICE phone lines, and delayed or missed legal filings. The agencies have not publicly confirmed the change but say they prioritize those with final removal orders for deportation.
Approximately 1.4 million people in the U.S. are subject to final removal orders. They retain options to challenge detention conditions and deportations, including reopening proceedings and seeking relief.
The lawsuit seeks a court order blocking the "unlawful and inhumane" policy. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
