Unknown Parties v. Wolf

CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedFebruary 19, 2020
Docket4:15-cv-00250
StatusUnknown

This text of Unknown Parties v. Wolf (Unknown Parties v. Wolf) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Unknown Parties v. Wolf, (D. Ariz. 2020).

Opinion

Case 4:15-cv-00250-DCB Document 482 Filed 02/19/20 Page 1 of 40

1 WO 2 3 4 5 6 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 8 9 Unknown Parties, et al., No. CV-15-00250-TUC-DCB 10 Plaintiffs, FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSSIONS OF LAW 11 v. 12 Kirstjen M Nielsen, et al., 13 Defendants. 14 15 16 BACKGROUND

17 Plaintiffs filed this action on June 8, 2015, seeking injunctive relief related to 18 alleged inhumane and punitive treatment of civil immigration detainees by Customs and

19 Border Patrol (CBP) in the Tucson Sector at the Brian A. Terry Station/Naco Station,

20 Casa Grande Station, Douglas Station, Nogales Station, Sonoita Station, Tucson Station, 21 Why/Ajo Station, Willcox Station, and Three Points Station. The Tucson Station and 22 Three Points Station process detainees at the Tucson Coordination Center (TCC), which

23 serves as a hub for coordinating the movement of the majority of detainees out of CBP

24 custody. Plaintiffs charge the Defendants with violating the Due Process Clause of the

25 Fifth Amendment based on alleged deprivations of sleep, of hygienic and sanitary

26 conditions, of adequate medical screening and care, of providing inadequate food and 27 water, and of a lack of warmth in CBP holding cells. (Doc. 1 ¶¶ 184-218.) The case is a 28 class action lawsuit. (Order (Doc. 117)). Case 4:15-cv-00250-DCB Document 482 Filed 02/19/20 Page 2 of 40

1 Following a seven-day trial, the Court grants Plaintiffs’ request for a Permanent 2 Injunction because CBP’s mission is to arrest, process, and turn detainees over to United 3 States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Enforcement and 4 Removal Operations (ERO), the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR); the United 5 States Marshals Service; or another agency (OA), as appropriate. CBP stations and 6 holding facilities are designed within the context of this mission for short-term holds, 7 lasting hours not days. There is no legitimate governmental interest to hold detainees 8 longer than the time needed to complete this mission. 9 The evidence reflects that the extended detentions currently occurring at CBP 10 facilities are, in large part, caused when receiving agencies, including ICE, ERO, ORR, 11 the United States Marshals, and other agencies, are unable, usually due to capacity 12 constraints, to accept CBP transfers. The Plaintiffs, who are civil detainees in CBP 13 holding cells, face conditions of confinement after 12 hours which are substantially worse 14 than detainees face upon commitment to either a civil immigration detention facility or 15 even a criminal detention facility, like a jail or prison. The Court finds that the conditions 16 of detention in CBP holding cells, especially those that preclude sleep over several 17 nights, are presumptively punitive and violate the Constitution. The Defendants have 18 overcome this presumption to a limited extent, and the Court limits its injunctive relief, 19 accordingly. CBP shall be enjoined from holding detainees, who are “processing 20 complete,” i.e., meaning the detainee has been processed by CBP and the appropriate 21 receiving agency has been identified, longer than 48 hours from book-in time. Detention 22 may not extend into a third night under the “no longer than 48 hours” rule, unless and 23 until CBP can provide conditions of confinement that meet detainees’ basic human needs 24 for sleeping in a bed with a blanket, a shower,1 food that meets acceptable dietary 25 standards, potable water, and medical assessment performed by a medical professional. 26 27 1 A shower is a bath in which water is showered (as in to wet with a spray, fine stream, or 28 drops) on the body. Webster’s Dictionary (1979). A “paper-shower” or “shower-wipe, by definition, is not a shower.

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1 The Court shall afford the parties an opportunity to be heard regarding any express 2 terms necessary for the effectuation of the Permanent Injunction not contained herein. 3 A. Conditions of Confinement and Civil Detainees 4 ““When the State takes a person into custody and holds him there against his will, 5 the Constitution imposes upon it a corresponding duty to assume some responsibility for 6 his safety and general well-being: Under this rationale, the State must provide for a 7 detainee’s ‘basic human needs—e.g., food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and reasonable 8 safety—.’” (Order (Doc. 244) at 6 (quoting DeShaney v. Winnebago Cty. Dep’t of Soc. 9 Servs., 489 U.S. 189, 199-200 (1989)). “‘The more basic the particular need, the shorter 10 the time it can be withheld.’” Id. at 20 (quoting Hoptowit v. Ray, 682 F.2d 1237, 1259 (9th 11 Cir. 1982)). Less critical needs may be denied for reasonable periods of time when 12 warranted by exceptional circumstances such as an emergency or disciplinary need. Id. 13 (citing Hoptowit citing Spain v. Procunier, 600 F.2d 189, 199 (9th Cir. 1979)). The Court’s 14 task is to “determine whether a challenged punishment comports with human dignity,” 15 Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 282 (1972) (BRENNAN, J., concurring), and the Court 16 must carefully scrutinize the challenged conditions and application of realistic yet humane 17 standards, Rhodes v. Chapman, 452 U.S. 337, 361 (1981). 18 It is undisputed that CBP holds the Plaintiffs as civil detainees, pursuant to civil 19 immigration laws.2 “Pretrial detainees cannot be punished because they have not yet been 20 convicted,” Lynch v. Baxley, 744 F.2d 1452, 1461 (9th Cir. 1984) (citing Bell v. Wolfish, 21 441 U.S. 520 (1979); “[civil] detainees cannot be subjected to conditions of confinement 22 substantially worse than they would face upon commitment,” Lynch, 744 F.2d at 1461. 23 As civil detainees, Plaintiffs are protected under the Fifth Amendment from being 24 2 “Plaintiffs are civil detainees awaiting civil commitment; some may be awaiting criminal commitment.” (Order (Doc. 383) at 9 (citing (Reply (Doc. 359), Ex. 1: 11/15/16 25 Evidentiary Hearing George Allen, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Tucson Sector at 107)). According to Defendants, the Plaintiffs are detained as civil detainees pursuant to 8 26 U.S.C.A. § 1225 (an alien arriving at the United States border is deemed to be an applicant for admission, subject to being determined inadmissible and subject to removal); § 1226 27 (detention pending a decision on whether the alien is to be removed); § 1231 (subsequent to an order of removal, an alien is detained pending deportation), and § 1252 (detention as 28 a result of expedited removal proceedings). (Ds’ Proposed Findings of Facts (Doc. 441) ¶ 12.)

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1 held without due process of law under conditions that amount to punishment. Wong Wing 2 v. United States, 163 U.S. 228, 237 (1896). The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against 3 cruel and unusual punishment requires prison officials to provide humane conditions of 4 confinement, including adequate food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, and medical care, and 5 take reasonable measures to guarantee the safety of the inmates. Farmer v. Brennan, 511 6 U.S. 825, 832 (1994).

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Related

Wong Wing v. United States
163 U.S. 228 (Supreme Court, 1896)
Furman v. Georgia
408 U.S. 238 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Estelle v. Gamble
429 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Rhodes v. Chapman
452 U.S. 337 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo
457 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1982)
City of Los Angeles v. Lyons
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Hudson v. McMillian
503 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Johnny L. Spain v. Raymond K. Procunier
600 F.2d 189 (Ninth Circuit, 1979)
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Bluebook (online)
Unknown Parties v. Wolf, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/unknown-parties-v-wolf-azd-2020.