Aguilar v. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Division of United States Department of Homeland Security

259 F.R.D. 51, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108431, 2009 WL 2337278
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 23, 2009
DocketNo. 07 Civ. 8224(JGK)(FM)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 259 F.R.D. 51 (Aguilar v. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Division of United States Department of Homeland Security) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Aguilar v. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Division of United States Department of Homeland Security, 259 F.R.D. 51, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108431, 2009 WL 2337278 (S.D.N.Y. 2009).

Opinion

DISCOVERY ORDER

FRANK MAAS, United States Magistrate Judge.

This putative class action is brought by more than thirty named Latino plaintiffs (“Plaintiffs”) who contend that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”) and certain of its agents (collectively, “Defendants”) systematically conducted unconstitutional home raids in 2006 and 2007. These ICE operations had a number of different names, including Operation Return to Sender, Operation Cross Check, and Operation Community Shield. One branch of Operation Community Shield, captioned “Operation Surge,” took place in Nassau and Suffolk Counties from September 24 though September 29, 2007. The ostensible purpose of that operation was to arrest known gang members who were subject to removal from the United States based on their criminal records. In their Third Amended Complaint, the Plaintiffs allege that Operation Surge and the other programs violate the Fourth Amendment rights of Latinos in general. They further allege that the Fourth Amendment rights of certain named Plaintiffs were violated in connection with raids conducted by ICE at nine specific locations (“Complaint Locations”).

Following several rounds of discussions among the parties, the Plaintiffs have filed a motion to compel the production of certain documents relating to Operation Surge which the Defendants have withheld on law enforcement privilege grounds. I have reviewed the parties’ motion papers and also have conducted an in camera review of excerpts from the withheld documents provided by the Defendants. For the reasons set forth below, the Plaintiffs’ motion (Docket No. 130) is granted in part and denied in part.

1. Background

On August 18, 2008, the Defendants provided the Plaintiffs with a privilege log identifying thirty-one documents that had been withheld on law enforcement privilege grounds.1 (See Defs.’ Mem. at 5). In a subsequent letter dated September 29, 2008, the Defendants explained that these documents contained identifying information about individuals who might be the subject of further investigation by ICE. (Defs.’ Mem. at 5; Decl. of Ass’t U.S. Att’y Lara Eshkenazi, dated Jan. 29, 2009 (“Eshkenazi Deck”), Ex. A at 3). They later elaborated that some persons they consider to be of continuing investigative interest may have been apprehended during Operation Surge, while others were not. (See Defs.’ Mem. at 5).

In their motion, the Plaintiffs seek the production of the documents on the Defendants’ privilege log numbered as documents 2, 3, 5-8, 10, 12-16, 18-19, and 21-31.2 Because many of these documents are dupli[56]*56cates, the Plaintiffs in fact are seeking the production of only twelve discrete documents, listed as documents 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13,15,19, 22, 29, and 31 on the privilege log.3

In their papers, the Plaintiffs note that they have agreed to significant redactions of these documents. Thus, with respect to various spreadsheets listing potential raid targets, the Plaintiffs seek only the information in the columns listing each target’s zip code, country of origin, nationality, gang affiliation, race, and criminal charge justifying the targeting of that individual.4 Significantly, the Plaintiffs do not seek the names of the targets unless those names correspond to a name or a Complaint Location identified in their complaint.5

The Defendants have voluntarily disclosed name and address information concerning the targets associated with the Complaint Locations, but maintain that any additional information contained in the withheld documents is subject to the law enforcement privilege and should not be disclosed. (Defs.’ Mem. at 7,10-11).

II. Discussion

A. Applicable Law

Rule 37 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that “[i]f a party fails to make a disclosure required by Rule 26(a), any other party may move to compel disclosure and for appropriate sanctions.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 37(a)(3)(A). A party asserting a privilege with respect to documents otherwise discoverable bears the burden of justifying the privilege’s application. See United States v. Adlman, 68 F.3d 1495, 1500 (2d Cir.1995); King v. Conde, 121 F.R.D. 180, 189 (E.D.N.Y.1988); see also Strougo v. BEA Assocs., 199 F.R.D. 515, 519 (S.D.N.Y.2001) (“[Pjroponent of a privilege log must set forth facts therein that would establish each element of the claimed privilege as to each disputed document.”).

Here, the Defendants rely on the law enforcement privilege. The purpose of this privilege is to prevent the disclosure of “law enforcement techniques and procedures, to preserve the confidentiality of sources, to protect witnesses] and law enforcement personnel, to safeguard the privacy of individuals involved in an investigation, and otherwise to prevent interference with an investigation.” Schiller v. City of New York, 252 F.R.D. 204, 207 (S.D.N.Y.2008) (quoting In re Dep’t of Investigation, 856 F.2d 481, 484 (2d Cir.1988)) (internal quotation marks omitted). “An investigation need not be ongoing for the law enforcement privilege to apply as the ability of a law enforcement agency to conduct future investigations may be seriously impaired if certain information is revealed.” Nat’l Congress for Puerto Rican Rights v. City of New York, 194 F.R.D. 88, 95 (S.D.N.Y.2000) (internal quotation marks omitted).

Although courts recognize a law enforcement privilege, it is a qualified privilege. Accordingly, the Court must balance the alleged need for the information against the public’s interest in disclosure or nondisclosure. Kunstler v. City of New York, 439 F.Supp.2d 327, 328 (S.D.N.Y.2006); Otterson v. National R.R. Passenger Corp., 228 F.R.D. 205, 207 (S.D.N.Y.2005). There is, however, no need to engage in this exercise unless the party withholding the documents can make a threshold showing that the privilege attaches. City of New York v. Beretta, 222 F.R.D. 51, 66 (E.D.N.Y.2004); Fountain v. City of New York, No. 03 Civ. 4526(RWS), 2004 WL 941242, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. May 3, 2004) (citing King, 121 F.R.D. at 189).

In assessing whether a threshold showing has been made, a court need not [57]*57“defer blindly to assertions made by ... official[s] regarding the existence of the law enforcement privilege.” MacNamara v. City of New York, 249 F.R.D. 70, 85 (S.D.N.Y. 2008). Rather, the party opposing disclosure must make a “clear and specific evidentiary showing of the nature and extent of the harm that is likely to be encountered if disclosure is permitted.” Schiller, 252 F.R.D. at 207 (internal quotation marks omitted); see also MacWade v. Kelly, 230 F.R.D.

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259 F.R.D. 51, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108431, 2009 WL 2337278, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aguilar-v-immigration-customs-enforcement-division-of-united-states-nysd-2009.