FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week, immigrant rights groups filed a lawsuit to halt the Trump administration’s attempt to strip certain immigrants of their due process rights. The administration is using the deeply flawed deportation process called “expedited removal” —to summarily deport immigrants without a hearing or an attorney. Parolees should not be subjected to expedited removal, and this directive is an unlawful overreach.
The UndocuBlack Network (UBN), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), and CASA, with legal representation from Justice Action Center, filed their lawsuit in a federal district court in the District of Columbia. They filed on behalf of members of the organizations who were granted parole at a border port of entry, through Operation Allies Welcome, or were sponsored under the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela (CHNV) humanitarian parole program.
“Our communities did absolutely everything the government asked of them, for the chance to be able to start new chapters in the United States. Rather than honor their side of the commitment, the federal government wants to expel them without so much as a hearing,” said Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). “The community members we serve deserve the dignity of a day in court, and we are filing this lawsuit to ensure that they receive one.”
The groups filed this suit, CHIRLA v. Noem, the day before the publication of a Federal Register Notice that would strip those granted parole through the CHNV humanitarian parole program of their work authorization and lawful status on April 24, 2025.
“Human beings are not disposable—and our rights do not disappear because we are immigrants. That is the heart of our resistance today. The tactics being used to deny CHNV parolees their due process are being tested on vulnerable populations, only to be expanded elsewhere. This is a dangerous threat to democracy. It is also unmistakably anti-Black and anti-Haitian. How we respond as a society will determine what we are willing to accept tomorrow. UndocuBlack stands firmly on the side of justice,” said Patrice Lawrence, Executive Director at UndocuBlack Network.
“Whether by attacking birthright citizenship, abducting Venezuelans and forcing them into labor camps in El Salvador, or stripping people of their immigration status, the Trump administration has shown no regard for our communities,” said Nick Katz, General Counsel at CASA. “But our strength lies not in whether we have a friend in the White House, but whether we have the courage to stand with each other. We stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors, family members, and friends with parole.”
A copy of the complaint is available here. To read more about the Trump Administration’s various efforts to dismantle humanitarian parole, visit Justice Action Center’s litigation tracker here.
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
With over 173,000 lifetime members across 46 US states, CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA creates change with its powerbuilding model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members. www.wearecasa.org
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants. CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of power.
Founded in January 2016, the UndocuBlack Network (UBN) is a multi-generational network of Black immigrants that fosters community, facilitates access to resources, and advocates to transform the realities of our people, so we are thriving and living our fullest lives.