GET ALL YOUR UPDATES HERE.
Back to Cases

Ms. L. v. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Forced Family Separation 

Filed February 26, 2018 at the United States District Court of Southern California

From the fall of 2017 through the fall of 2018, the first Trump Administration implemented its “Zero Tolerance” border policy which forcibly separated thousands of immigrant families. The ACLU filed this federal class action lawsuit on behalf of “Ms. L.”, a Congolese mother separated from her 7-year-old daughter, and a class of separated families to challenge the unconstitutional policy and won a preliminary injunction. In December 2023, the parties reached a settlement that (1) provides for certain relief and benefits to families that were harmed by the Zero Tolerance policy, and (2) imposes certain restrictions and requirements on the government with respect to ongoing separations of parents and children. 

During Zero Tolerance, the Young Center was appointed as the independent Child Advocate for hundreds of children who were separated from their parents at the border and witnessed the devastating harm to children and families caused by these separations.  It has also been appointed as Child Advocate to hundreds of children that have been separated from their parents or legal guardians by the government since Zero Tolerance. Currently, the Young Center’s Technical Assistance Program consults with and supports service providers working with Ms. L class members. Throughout the course of this litigation, the Young Center has filed numerous declarations regarding the harm caused by ongoing separations and the government’s non-compliance with the Settlement Agreement.      
 
More about the case can be found on the  ACLU website. 

Court Documents

Related Young Center Reports

Scroll to Top