Boston court sees suit to stop ICE from hiding detainee locations

Four organizations that provide legal services to immigrants filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston on Wednesday. They are asking a judge to stop a Trump administration policy that hides the locations of people with final deportation orders.

The suit claims the policy was adopted abruptly in September to accelerate deportations. It argues that the change makes it difficult or impossible for immigration lawyers to locate their clients. The groups describe the shift as unlawful and inhumane.

The lawsuit targets a decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove these individuals from its Online Detainee Locator System. Staff were also instructed not to disclose where the people are held. As of September, the change affected more than 16,000 of the nearly 69,000 people currently in ICE custody.

Jacquelynne Bowman, executive director of Greater Boston Legal Services, stated that the arbitrary administrative change leaves hundreds of thousands of people at risk without essential legal help. She said, "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."

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agencies have not publicly confirmed the change but said they are prioritizing people with final removal orders. They also denied that they are disappearing detainees, noting that detainees can still make phone calls.

Lawyers have relied on the online locator since 2010 to track detainees moving through ICE facilities. The lawsuit states that since the policy took effect, lawyers have spent significantly more time tracking down clients. Calls to the Detention and Removal Information Line often result in long waits or no answer. Some lawyers use an ICE program for scheduled legal calls, but the suit says only a small share of detention centers participate.

The plaintiffs argue the change violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it was adopted without explanation. They also say it violates the First Amendment, which protects lawyers' ability to advise clients and seek prospective clients. Approximately 1.4 million people in the United States are subject to final orders of removal.