Judge Orders Government to Reach Agreement on Counsel Access for Minnesota ICE Detainees
A US District Judge has set a deadline of next Thursday for the government and human rights lawyers to reach an agreement on ensuring access to counsel for individuals detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Minnesota. The judge's ultimatum comes after she expressed significant skepticism over the government's claims that detainees receive adequate legal representation, citing a "wide factual disconnect" between the parties' accounts.
The facility, located within the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, has been criticized for poor conditions, including inadequate access to counsel and unmonitored phone calls. Human rights lawyers have alleged that detainees are often unable to meet with lawyers in person, despite being allowed to make phone calls under supervision. In contrast, the government claims that detainees have access to counsel at any time and for as long as needed.
The judge's concerns were reinforced by a Justice Department attorney who conceded she had never visited the facility, and whose arguments were deemed "a tough sell" due to the preponderance of evidence supporting the plaintiffs' claims. The judge instructed both sides to continue meeting with a retired judge mediator to work out the differences.
If an agreement cannot be reached by Thursday, February 12th at 5 pm, the judge will issue her ruling, although she did not indicate which way she would lean. The facility has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks, with Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison decrying poor conditions and the government's handling of the situation.
Morrison visited the facility on Thursday night and learned that there are no protocols in place to prevent the spread of measles to Minnesota from Texas, following a reported outbreak at another major ICE detention center. Some Minnesota detainees have been sent to the Texas facility, while others have returned after court intervention.
The controversy surrounding the facility has also sparked calls for greater transparency from lawmakers. Despite a recent ruling that allows members of Congress to make unannounced visits to ICE facilities, agents have attempted to deny entry to some representatives.
A US District Judge has set a deadline of next Thursday for the government and human rights lawyers to reach an agreement on ensuring access to counsel for individuals detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Minnesota. The judge's ultimatum comes after she expressed significant skepticism over the government's claims that detainees receive adequate legal representation, citing a "wide factual disconnect" between the parties' accounts.
The facility, located within the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, has been criticized for poor conditions, including inadequate access to counsel and unmonitored phone calls. Human rights lawyers have alleged that detainees are often unable to meet with lawyers in person, despite being allowed to make phone calls under supervision. In contrast, the government claims that detainees have access to counsel at any time and for as long as needed.
The judge's concerns were reinforced by a Justice Department attorney who conceded she had never visited the facility, and whose arguments were deemed "a tough sell" due to the preponderance of evidence supporting the plaintiffs' claims. The judge instructed both sides to continue meeting with a retired judge mediator to work out the differences.
If an agreement cannot be reached by Thursday, February 12th at 5 pm, the judge will issue her ruling, although she did not indicate which way she would lean. The facility has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks, with Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison decrying poor conditions and the government's handling of the situation.
Morrison visited the facility on Thursday night and learned that there are no protocols in place to prevent the spread of measles to Minnesota from Texas, following a reported outbreak at another major ICE detention center. Some Minnesota detainees have been sent to the Texas facility, while others have returned after court intervention.
The controversy surrounding the facility has also sparked calls for greater transparency from lawmakers. Despite a recent ruling that allows members of Congress to make unannounced visits to ICE facilities, agents have attempted to deny entry to some representatives.
so they're gonna agree on this thing by Thursday or the judge just gonna tell them to get it together themselves? 
I mean, I'm no expert but I've heard of 'adequate legal representation' sounding like a fancy way of saying 'we'll give you some free time to talk to your lawyer if you want'. How convenient. And what's with the government not visiting the facility themselves? 
seems like they're trying to avoid accountability. 
i mean its crazy that there are people detained without access to counsel its not fair at all im sure there must be a way for them to get help but why cant they communicate properly like how does measles even spread in a detention center anyway was it something they ate or did someone get infected from another place idk 
. The fact that there are protocols in place to prevent the spread of measles from Texas to Minnesota is just too ridiculous, like something out of a bad sci-fi movie 
. I mean, who needs more transparency? This is just going to lead to more scrutiny and more problems... or maybe it'll actually make things better? 
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. It's just not right that detainees are being held without proper access to counsel, and it sounds like the government is really struggling to provide adequate representation. The fact that a Justice Department attorney has never even visited the facility is shocking - how can you ensure things are running smoothly when you don't know what's going on in person? 
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. If a retired judge mediator can't work out the differences between the two sides, maybe it's time for a fresh set of eyes 
. And what's with all these delays? We've got detainees livin' in subpar conditions and we're still arguin' over counsel access 
. I'm not saying the judge is doin' her job or anythin', but it feels like we're just kickin' the can down the road 
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. Its great that the court is taking steps to ensure detainees receive proper representation, but it's also kinda embarrassing for the government to be in this situation 
come on guys... it's not that hard to get this right... so the judge says reach an agreement on counsel access for detainees or else she'll rule against you... simple as that 
. The government's gotta come clean on what's really going down at that facility - it sounds like there's some serious neglect happening 
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It doesn't add up. And now they're worried about a measles outbreak? Like, how did that even happen in the first place? 
. We need transparency, especially when it comes to our government and its handling of sensitive issues like immigration and detention centers. The fact that some lawmakers can't even get into certain facilities is just ridiculous 
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. Access to counsel is a fundamental right, and everyone should have it, no matter what their situation is. We need more people speaking out on this issue, demanding change 
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. if they can't agree on basic things like counsel access, how can we trust anything else? 
especially with this measles outbreak situation... it's just too much 
. I mean, isn't it basic human rights or something? The government's whole "we've got everything under control" thing doesn't sit right with me either 
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