In the Matter of María de Jesus Ortiz Mejía and Other Respondents (El Balazo cases)
What's at Stake
On the morning of May 2, 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a coordinated raid on the El Balazo taquerias, a chain of eleven restaurants in the Bay Area. Although ICE was ostensibly searching for documents relating to tax evasion and harboring by the restaurants’ owners, the agents did not limit their search to documents. Instead, armed agents seized all the workers found on site and interrogated them at length about their immigration status. The ICE agents did not show the workers a warrant or explain what was happening.
Summary
They seized the workers without any individualized suspicion and subjected them to coercive interrogation tactics, in violation of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and ICE’s own regulations. In the end, ICE arrested a total of 63 workers. Far from being treated as witnesses and victims of employment violations, these workers were put in removal proceedings. The ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, along with Morrison & Foerster LLP, Dolores Street Community Services, and the Law Office of Rosy H. Cho, is representing many of the workers arrested that day in their immigration proceedings, seeking suppression of the unlawfully gathered evidence and termination of their proceedings.
Legal Documents
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11/13/2012
In the matter of Maria Ortiz de Jesus Martinez and other respondents (El Balazo cases) -Petition for Review from the Board of Immigration Appeals Petitioner's Brief
Date Filed: 11/13/2012
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09/28/2012
El Balazo Cases - Decision of the Immigration Judge Terminating Proceedings (redacted)
Date Filed: 09/28/2012
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03/27/2013
In the matter of Maria Ortiz de Jesus Martinez and other respondents (El Balazo cases)-Petitioner's Reply Brief
Date Filed: 03/27/2013
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03/13/2013
In the matter of Maria Ortiz de Jesus Martinez and other respondents (El Balazo cases)-Petition for review of final order of the board of immigration appeals brief for respondent
Date Filed: 03/13/2013
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01/03/2014
In the matter of Maria Ortiz de Jesus Martinez and other respondents (El Balazo cases)-Brief of the American Immigration Council as Amicus Curiae in support of petitioner
Date Filed: 01/03/2014
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