Enil Jabib Claros v. Sergio Albarran, et al.

District Court, N.D. California·Decided December 2, 2025·No. 3:25-cv-09473·Unknown

Opinion

ENIL JABIB CLAROS, Case No. 25-cv-09473-EMC (EMC)

Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR v. PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

SERGIO ALBARRAN, et al., Docket No. 5 Defendants.

Petitioner Enil Jabib Claros is a non-citizen from Honduras who has lived in the United States for the past six years on supervised release. After Mr. Claros appeared for a reasonable fear interview, he was detained by ICE agents. Mr. Claros filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus and a motion for temporary restraining order. Dkt. Nos. 1 & 5. On November 5, 2025, the Court granted Mr. Claros’ Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order. Dkt. No. 9. Mr. Claros now asks this Court to convert its TRO into a preliminary injunction. For the reasons stated below, the motion for preliminary injunction is GRANTED. Mr. Claros is 34 years old, and father to three children ages seven, nine, and fourteen. Dkt. No. 5 at 6; Dkt. No. 6-3 at 1. Mr. Claros was born in Honduras but was brought to the United States as a child and has lived in this country for most of his life. Dkt. No. 5 at 6. In April of 2011, Mr. Claros was convicted for battery. Dkt. No. 12-1. DHS encountered Mr. Claros due to his conviction and served him with a Notice to Appear. Id. Mr. Claros did not contest the removal order and in June of 2011 was removed from the United States. Id. In 2019, Mr. Claros Upon crossing the United States border on July 7, 2019, Mr. Claros was detained by Customs and Border Patrol. Dkt. No. 12-1 ¶ 14. Mr. Claros was issued a Form I-871, Notice of Intent/Decision to Reinstate Prior Order, reinstating the 2011 removal order. Id. ¶ 15. Mr. Claros claimed a fear of returning to Honduras and was referred to Citizenship and Immigration Services for a reasonable fear interview. Id. ICE released Mr. Claros on his own recognizance pursuant to Section 236 of the immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1226) to await his Reasonable Fear Interview. Dkt. No. 6-6 at 1. The release was subject to appearing for regular check-ins. Id. For the next six years, Mr. Claros lived at liberty with his family in San Francisco. Dkt. No. 5 at 7. In June of 2021, Mr. Claros was arrested for a felony violation of California Penal Code 273.5 (domestic violence) but was not prosecuted. Dkt. No. 12-1. The San Francisco Office of the District Attorney has submitted a letter stating that no formal charges were filed against Mr. Claros in connection with the arrest because the matter was discharged for lack of evidence. Dkt. No. 14-4. On February 13, 2025, Mr. Claros filed a Form I-192, Petition for Advance Permission to Enter as Nonimmigrant, as well as a Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status, which is available to victims of certain criminal activity who are helpful to law enforcement in prosecuting the activity. Dkt. No. 5 at 7; 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U). The U Petition was based on severe child abuse suffered by Mr. Claros, based on which a court ordered him removed from his parents’ custody. Id. On November 3, 2025, Mr. Claros appeared at the San Francisco Asylum Office for a Reasonable Fear Interview, along with his counsel. Dkt. No. 1-1 ¶ 11. Mr. Claros testified about the violence and death threats that he and his family suffered in Honduras for his political activity, including being shot in the legs by the police at a peaceful protest and being detained and tortured. Id. ¶12. Mr. Claros testified that in 2019, Honduran police officers ransacked his home, confiscated his ID documents, physically assaulted his wife and two-year-old son, and threatened to kill them. Id. ¶ 13. This incident was the catalyst for Mr. Claros and his family to flee to the United States. Id. reasonable fear of returning to Honduras. Id. ¶ 15. Mr. Claros told the asylum officer that he wanted an Immigration Judge to review the negative reasonable fear finding and signed a document to that effect. Id. ICE agents then entered the room and detained him. Id. ¶ 16. The ICE agents did not explain to Mr. Claros why they were arresting him beyond stating that Mr. Claros “has a deportation order.” Id. On November 4, 2025, Mr. Claros filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. Dkt. No. 5. On November 5, this Court granted the motion. Dkt. No. 9. The next day, ICE released Mr. Claros. Dkt. No. 10. ICE ordered Mr. Claros to appear at the ICE office on November 7 and provided him with a check-in date of November 28. Dkt. No. 14-1. On November 10, an IJ found that Mr. Claros had a reasonable fear of persecution or torture in Honduras. Dkt. No. 14-2 (Order of Immigration Judge). The IJ vacated the prior negative Reasonable Fear Interview determination and placed Mr. Claros in withholding-only proceedings. Id. Mr. Claros’ initial scheduling hearing in his immigration case is set for May 5, 2026. Dkt. No. 14-3. A party seeking a preliminary injunction must establish “[1] that he is likely to succeed on the merits, [2] that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, [3] that the balance of equities tips in his favor, and [4] that an injunction is in the public interest.” Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7, 20 (2008). “[I]f a plaintiff can only show that there are serious questions going to the merits – a lesser showing than likelihood of success on the merits – then a preliminary injunction may still issue if the balance of hardships tips sharply in the plaintiff’s favor, and the other two Winter factors are satisfied.” Friends of the Wild Swan v. Weber, 767 F.3d 936, 942 (9th Cir. 2014) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). “[W]hen the Government is the opposing party,” the final two factors “merge.” Nken v. Holder, 556 U.S. 418, 435 (2009).

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Enil Jabib Claros v. Sergio Albarran, et al., (N.D. Cal. 2025).

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