Defending the Rights of Immigrants and Those Who Support Them
ICAP uses strategic litigation and advocacy to defend the rights of immigrant children and adults as they are being threatened at a federal, state, and local level. ICAP has represented organizations and cities challenging a Department of Homeland Security public charge rule, a State Department Diversity Visa Program rule, and statewide statutes prohibiting sanctuary cities.
In addition, ICAP has written op-eds and filed amicus briefs across the country supporting state challenges to anti-sanctuary cities policies, challenging the termination of DACA, and challenging as a First Amendment violation ICE’s targeting of immigrants’ rights advocates for deportation.
ICAP has represented organizations in challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s new policy authorizing federal immigration enforcement in places of worship and other “sensitive locations”; an Executive Order purporting to deny birthright citizenship to certain immigrant children, in violation of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment; and a baseless investigation by the Texas Attorney General into services a religious organization provides to immigrants. Additionally, ICAP has defended an Indiana Sheriff against a lawsuit by the Indiana Attorney General challenging the Sheriff’s immigration policy, which limits local law enforcement’s involvement with federal immigration enforcement.
We served as co-counsel in helping plaintiffs challenge a Department of Homeland Security rule that harms immigrants, a new State Department Diversity Visa Program rule, and the intentional and discriminatory exclusion of U.S. citizen children from the benefits of emergency cash assistance distributed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. We also served as co-counsel to the cities of Gary and East Chicago, Indiana, to successfully defend their “welcoming city” ordinances from a lawsuit characterized by its architects as the first salvo in a potentially nationwide effort to roll back so-called “sanctuary city” or “welcoming city” policies, and served as co-counsel challenging Texas’s anti-sanctuary city statute, “SB4,” with a focus on the First Amendment concerns raised by the statute.
In addition, we served as lead counsel representing a military veteran seeking to keep his lawfully adopted daughter in the United States.
Our Work
- 4/4/25 – Filed an opposition to the Government’s application for stay in the Supreme Court, arguing that the nationwide injunction protecting birthright citizenship should remain in effect in CASA v. Trump (2025)
- 4/3/25 – Filed a reply motion in support of the previously filed motion to dismiss the Plaintiffs’ amended complaint in State ex rel. Rokita v. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- 3/24/25 – Filed a reply brief in support of the previously filed preliminary injunction in Mennonite Church USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- 2/28/25 – 4th Circuit denies Defendants’ motion to stay the preliminary injunction pending appeal in CASA v. Trump (2025)
- 2/28/25 – Filed a motion to dismiss the Plaintiff’s amended complaint in State ex rel. Rokita v. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- 2/24/25 – Filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Mennonite Church USA v. US Department of Homeland Security to enjoin DHS from immigration enforcement activity in or near Plaintiffs’ places of worship or religious ceremonies
- 2/11/25 – Filed a complaint in the United States District Court of the District of Columbia in Mennonite Church USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- 2/12/25 – Presented oral argument on behalf of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in the Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals
- 2/5/25 – Obtained a ruling in CASA v. Trump (2025) granting a universal preliminary injunction to enjoin the enforcement of the President’s Executive Order
- 2/3/25 – Filed a reply in support of the previously filed preliminary injunction in CASA v. Trump (2025)
- 1/21/25 – Filed a Complaint and motion for TRO in CASA v. Trump (2025) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to enjoin enforcement of the President’s Executive Order
- 11/20/24 – Filed a reply in support of our motion to dismiss in State ex rel. Rokita v. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- 10/31/24 – Filed a brief in opposition to the Attorney General’s mandamus petition in Catholic Charities, which seeks review of the district court’s denial of a pre-suit deposition, in the Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals
- 9/4/24 – Filed a motion to dismiss in State ex rel. Rokita v. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, or in the alternative, for Summary Judgment, seeking dismissal of the complaint
- 7/24/24 – The court issued an order in Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley denying the Attorney General’s petition
- 7/3/24 – Filed a response and objections in Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to the Attorney General’s petition seeking a deposition of a CCRGV representative
- 12/20/2023 – Filed a brief in Luna Vanegas v. Signet in the Seventh Circuit defending the district court’s exercise of personal jurisdiction over Signet for claims by other similarly situated employees
- 6/14/23 – Filed a brief in opposition in Signet Builders v. Luna Vanegas on behalf of the respondent, a migrant construction worker, challenging the petitioner’s failure to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime compensation requirements
- 12/15/21 – Filed a brief in the Fifth Circuit on behalf of law enforcement officials arguing against the termination of DACA
- 2/15/21 – Filed a brief in the Third Circuit in support of a New Jersey policy that fosters trust between law enforcement and communities by limiting local and state involvement in federal immigration enforcement
- 6/25/20 – Filed a brief in the district court on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of New Jersey’s challenge to the Justice Department’s anti-sanctuary cities policies
- 4/27/20 – Filed a brief in the Seventh Circuit on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of the city of Evanston’s challenge to the Justice Department’s anti-sanctuary cities policies
- 10/3/19 – Filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of 80 law enforcement officials in support of a challenge to DACA’s termination
- 5/28/19 – Filed a brief in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of California’s challenge to the Justice Department’s anti-sanctuary cities policies
- 11/12/18 – Filed a brief in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of law enforcement leaders in support of California’s effort to limit state and local entanglement with federal immigration enforcement
- 10/11/18 – Filed a brief in the Third Circuit on behalf of prosecutors and law enforcement leaders in support of Philadelphia’s challenge to the Justice Department’s Anti-Sanctuary Cities policies
- 9/7/18 – Filed a brief in the Second Circuit challenging retaliatory ICE deportations as violating the First Amendment
- 8/22/18 – Filed a brief at the Summary Judgment stage on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of California’s challenge to the Justice Department’s anti-sanctuary cities policies
- 7/21/18 – Filed a brief on behalf of law enforcement officials arguing against the termination of DACA
- 7/5/18 – Filed a brief in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of prosecutors in Los Angeles’s challenge to new Anti-Sanctuary Cities stance
- 5/18/18 – Filed a brief in the district court on behalf of law enforcement leaders in support of California’s effort to limit state and local entanglement with federal immigration enforcement
- 4/18/18 – Published an op-ed urging an end to the retaliatory enforcement of immigration law
- 3/23/18 – Filed a brief in the district court challenging retaliatory ICE deportations as violating the First Amendment
- 3/20/18 – Filed a Ninth Circuit brief on behalf of 63 law enforcement officials in support of a challenge to DACA’s termination
- 2/12/18 – Filed a brief in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of law enforcement leaders in support of San Francisco and Santa Clara’s challenge to new anti-sanctuary cities stance
- 1/29/18 – Filed a brief in the district court on behalf of prosecutors in Los Angeles’s challenge to new Anti-Sanctuary Cities stance
- 1/4/18 – Filed a brief in the Seventh Circuit on behalf of prosecutors in support of Chicago’s challenge to the Justice Department’s Anti-Sanctuary Cities policies
- 12/22/17 – Filed a brief on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of a challenge to DACA’s termination brought by 15 states and D.C.
- 12/21/17 – Published an op-ed explaining why, from the perspective of on-the-ground public safety officials, federal efforts to undermine community trust in policing make us all less safe
- 12/15/17 – Filed a brief on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of a challenge to DACA’s termination brought by Microsoft, Princeton, and a DREAMer enrolled at Princeton
- 11/29/17 – Filed a brief at the Preliminary Injunction stage on behalf of law enforcement officials in support of California’s challenge to the Justice Department’s anti-sanctuary cities policies
- 10/13/17 – Serving as co-counsel in challenging Texas’s anti-sanctuary city statute, “SB4,” with a focus on the First Amendment concerns raised by the statute
- 8/31/17 – Filed a brief in the district court on behalf of prosecutors in support of Chicago’s challenge to the Justice Department’s Anti-Sanctuary Cities policies