Immigration Law Clinic Wins Ninth Circuit Victory

The UC Davis School of Law Immigration Law Clinic played an important role in a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that granted new rights to detained immigrants. 

The Clinic appeared as amicus on its class action litigation Rodriguez v. Robbins, which challenged the constitutionality of prolonged immigration detention.  King Hall students Paul Kim '13, Patrick Ting '14, Katherine Lo '15, Andrea Wu '15, Mai Sartawi '15, and Courtney LaFranchi '16 worked on the amicus brief. On October 28, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the petitioners on most issues, finding immigrants have the right to a bond hearing after six months of detention.

"What's even more exciting is that the Ninth Circuit relied heavily on the Clinic's prior case, Singh v. Holder, in its reasoning," said Holly Cooper, lecturer and Associate Director of the Immigration Law Clinic, referencing the Clinic's 2012 Ninth Circuit victory that set a new standard of proof for certain immigration bond hearings.  "It was like a double win, and I'm very proud of our students."