Lyon v. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement

171 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2016 WL 1070650, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35479
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedMarch 18, 2016
DocketCase No. 13-cv-05878-EMC
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 171 F. Supp. 3d 961 (Lyon v. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyon v. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 171 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2016 WL 1070650, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35479 (C.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT; AND DENYING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Docket Nos. 120, 139

EDWARD M. CHEN, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

The instant action is brought on behalf of a certified class of adult immigration detainees who are or will be held by Defendant United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Contra Costa County, Kern County, Sacramento County, or Yuba County. Docket No. 99 (First Supplemental Complaint) (Compl.) at ¶ 90.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grants the Attorney General the discretionary authority, transferred to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to detain any alien in removal proceedings pending a final order. 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). At issue are conditions at four detention facilities used to hold adult immigration detainees: Yuba County Jail (Yuba), Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC) in Sacramento County, West County Detention Facility (Contra Costa), and Mesa Verde Détention Facility (Mesa Verde) in Bakersfield County (collectively, Facilities). See FAC at ¶¶ 31-32. Plaintiffs’ cases are venued at the San Francisco Immigration Court; thus, Contra Costa, RCCC, Yuba, and Mesa Verde are respectively 21, 83, 123, and 282 driving miles from San Francisco. See Docket No. 100 (Answer) at ¶ 33. Because of this distance, Plaintiffs allege that in-person visits are “impractical at best,” making telephone access “critical to Plaintiffs’ ability to locate, retain, and seek advice from legal counsel” and “essential to gather the evidence and government documents necessary to defend[] against removal charges, locate witnesses, and do other things necessary to represent themselves in complex legal proceedings.” 1 FAC at ¶ 3.

[965]*965However, because of restrictions on telephone access, Plaintiffs contend that they are unable to retain or communicate with counsel, or to gather evidence to be presented in removal proceedings or that is otherwise necessary for relief. Id. at ¶ 6. Plaintiffs specifically allege the following limitations: (1) high rates and fees for paid calls from Housing Unit Phones; (2) technical barriers and payment restrictions on Housing Unit Phones, such as a “positive acceptance” requirement where the individual being called must accept the call; (3) inadequacies of the free call or pro bono platforms; (4) limits on hours of telephone access; (5) lack of privacy; (6) inability to receive incoming calls or timely messages; and (7) failure to provide notice of calling options for detainees with limited English or Spanish language skills. Plaintiffs Mot. at 6. As a result of these alleged restrictions, Plaintiffs who would be eligible for relief are deported or unnecessarily detained as they seek continuances in order to find counsel and gather . evidence. Compl. at ¶¶ 5, 6.

Based on these allegations, Plaintiffs bring three claims for relief: (1) the right to representation of counsel, (2) the right to a full and fair hearing, and (3) the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. Id. at ¶¶ 100-112. The Court certified a class of “all current and future immigration detainees who are or will be held by ICE in Contra Costa, Sacramento, and Yuba Counties” in April 2014 under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2), and expanded the class definition to include detainees who are or will be held in Bakersfield County. See Docket Nos. 31, 98.

The parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment came on for hearing before the Court on February 11, 2016. See Docket Nos. 120 (Plaintiffs Mot.), 139 (Defendants Mot.). For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Defendants’ motion for summary judgment, and DENIES Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment.

II. BACKGROUND2

A. Undisputed Facts The Court finds that the following facts are not in dispute.

1.General Matters

1. Many of the detainees were arrested for a crime or are being held by the ICE after serving time for their crimes. See Docket No. 139-2 (Shinners Dec.), Exh. 1 (Vaughn Dep.) at 175:25-176:4.

2. Of the individuals held between December 10, 2012 through August 31, 2014, 10.54% were classified low risk, 20.5% were medium-low risk, 35.7% were medium-high risk, and 33.27% were high risk.3 Shinners Dec., Exh. 32.

3. Each of the Facilities provide access to telephones in or near the common areas of their housing units (Housing Unit Phones). See Docket No. 119-5, Exh. A (Berg Report) at 6-11.

4. Since this action was filed, ICE also began offering access to telephones outside of the housing units at Yuba, Contra Cos-ta, and Mesa Verde. Id. at 12-15.

[966]*9665. Detainees at all four facilities also have access to a “Free Call Platform” or “Pro Bono Platform” from the Housing Unit Phones and some Phone Rooms, which allows free direct calls to a pre-programmed set of speed dial numbers. See Shinners Dec., Exh. 6 (Landy Dep.) at 159:16-20.

6. Detainees may also request to be transported to the ICE Field Office to make telephone calls.4 See Shinners Dec., Exh. 31 (Butler Dep.) at 87:13-22. Detainees at all facilities also have access to legal mail and attorney visits, although there is some evidence that these services are inadequate substitutes for telephone access due to the delay in responses and distance between the Facilities and where attorneys are located. See Docket No. 120-17 (Supp. Vincent Dec.) at ¶ 11.

2. Contra Costa

7. Contra Costa is an open, campus-style facility. Shinners Dec., Exh. 20 (Bonthron Dep.) at 45:19. Because of this open layout, Contra Costa only houses detainees who fall into certain security classifications, and does not house any ICE detainees classified as high risk, have accumulated a significant number of disciplinary incident reports, have medical or mental health needs, or have been violent against other inmates or staff. Id. at 45:18-46:14; 118:18-22.

8. Housing Unit Phones are located in dayrooms on each tier of the housing units. Berg Report at 6. They are typically set up in pairs facing each other, and are often located only a few feet from the door of the nearest cell. Id. The Housing Unit Phones are also located within auditory range of the common-area tables and televisions. Id.) see also Docket No. 124-5 (Takei Dec.) at DSC00452, 484, 504, 535. All Housing Unit Phone calls are monitored and recorded. Berg Report at 7.

9. In order to use the Housing Unit Phone, detainees must pay an initiation fee of $2.60-$3.00, and per-minute rates ranging from $.05-$.025. Docket No. 119-10 (Phillips Dec.), Exh T.

10. Housing Unit Phone calls must be paid for by the recipient. Ha Dec., Exh. 35 (Bonthron Dep.) at 165:20-25. Thus, detainees can only call individuals or offices that agree to accept collect calls or have a prepaid account. Berg Report at 7.

11.

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Bluebook (online)
171 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2016 WL 1070650, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lyon-v-us-immigration-customs-enforcement-cacd-2016.