Pablo Sequen et al. v. Albarran et al.

On Sept. 18, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, the Central American Resource Center of Northern California, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, and Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s policy of arresting immigrants when they appear in court in Northern California and holding them for days in unsafe and unlawful conditions at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s San Francisco Field Office.  

The plaintiffs in the case include asylum seekers who were arrested after attending their court hearings, and those with upcoming hearings who fear arrest.

The lawsuit also challenges ICE’s decision to waive its 12-hour limit on detention in temporary holding facilities. This policy change was enacted to facilitate the Trump administration's arbitrary quota of 3,000 daily arrests, with no consideration of humane alternatives.

For decades, the federal government prohibited civil immigration arrests in and around courthouses to ensure individuals could access the justice system without fear. In January 2025, the Trump administration abruptly rescinded these policies.