Immigration Law Settlements
Los Angeles immigration law attorney Wilner & O'Reilly, APLC has assisted the SettlementBoard editorial team in identifying topics of importance to readers of this blog.
Atlanta Man Settles with County over Wrongful Arrest and Detention
An Atlanta man filed suit against Cobb County, Ga., claiming that he was arrested without cause, beaten and jailed by police as pretext to have him deported.
In "Settlement reached in suit against Cobb Police," Andria Simmons reported that Angel Francisco Castro Torres was represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Immigration Project. Both organizations are trying to put an end to a government program called 287(g), in which thousands of illegal immigrants are identified in county jails and deported every year.
The suit alleged that officers stopped Torres while he was riding his bike, asked to see his identification and questioned him about his immigration status. One of the officers was also accused of punching Torres in the face, which broke his nose and eye socket.
Torres received a $32,500 settlement award and dismissed the suit against the county and officers. Cobb County officials released a statement that the settlement was not an admission of liability or wrongdoing.
Colorado Man Settles Suit for Unlawful Detention
In Colorado, Luis Quezada received a combined $90,000 settlement award from the local sheriff's office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which directed county police to keep him in jail for more than a month.
Ivan Moreno noted in his article, "Luis Quezada, Suspected Illegal Immigrant, Receives $90,000 For Alleged Unlawful Jailing," that neither the ICE nor the police acknowledged wrongdoing in the case. The ICE issued a statement saying that it settled to avoid lengthy litigation.
Tech Company Agrees to Settle Lawsuit over Citizen Status Discrimination Practices
The Justice Department (DOJ) reached a settlement with Iselin, N.J.-based computer programming services provider Iflowsoft LLC to settle allegations that the company systematically hired temporary visa holders over United States citizens.
Iflowsoft expressed a preference for H1B visa holders in several job advertisements for IT job openings, which the DOJ says deterred U.S. citizens from applying.
The Associated Press also reported, in "N.J. company settles complaint that it gave favorable treatment to temporary visa holders," that the company agreed to $6,000 in penalties and $7,000 in back pay to two qualified U.S. citizens who had applied for positions.
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