We advocate for the rights of all immigrants, whether they are applying for status upon entry or fighting for their right to stay in the United States. Our program represents detained clients and advocates for changes in the current detention system. Here are some past projects:
Direct Representation
Our program represents detainees in Massachusetts and across the country. Here are some client stories:
- “John” fled his home country in East Africa after being subjected to persecution and torture. He was granted deferral of removal after working with clinical students and attorneys.
- An indigenous Guatemalan asylum-seeker was detained in Strafford, New Hampshire amid the COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to an emergency habeas petition filed by GBLS and the ACLU, he was released from detention.
Litigation
Complaint (08/2024)
On August 8, 2024, the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program and other advocacy groups renewed our demand for an end to civil rights abuses at Plymouth County Correctional Facility by filing a complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. This complaint builds on one previously filed in March 2023, and the renewed complaint highlights a range of civil rights violations, including the use of solitary confinement, medical neglect, and severe restrictions on communication for detainees, impacting access to attorneys, family, and services, especially for non-English speakers.
Complaint (03/2023)
Advocates from the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN), Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLSMA), Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, MIRA Coalition, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, and other organizations have filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, asking Attorney General Andrea Campbell to open an investigation into civil rights violations at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.
Alphonse v. Moniz (07/2022)
This brief argues that federal circuit courts have the authority to review appeals from individuals challenging their mandatory detention. Specifically, the brief highlights how frequently immigration adjudicators fail to properly determine when an individual has a criminal offense that triggers their mandatory detention.
Complaint (12/2021)
Our Program filed a complaint against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for its failure to produce requested records concerning the use of solitary confinement in immigration detention.
Class Action Petition & Complaint (12/2020)
Our Program, along with organizations from across the country, filed this petition and complaint on behalf of women who experienced medical abuse while in ICE custody.
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (12/2020)
Our Program, along with organizations from across the country, filed this motion on behalf of women who experienced medical abuse while in ICE custody.
Policy Advocacy
Violence and Violation: Medical Abuse of Immigrants Detained at the Irwin County Detention Center (09/2021)
This report, written by Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, and South Georgia Immigrant Support Network, in collaboration with the HLS Immigration Project and the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, details firsthand accounts from survivors who were subjected to invasive and nonconsensual surgeries and gynecological procedures, while detained in the custody of ICE.
Solitary Voices (05/2019)
This investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists focuses on the misuse of solitary confinement in detention centers in the U.S. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) obtained by HIRC helped release records from ICE on the solitary detainment of immigrants.
Comments on Family Detention (11/2018)
Our program, in collaboration with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) and the HLS Immigration Project (HIP), submitted comments on proposals regarding the detention of immigrant children.
Comments on Flores v. Reno (11/2018)
Our program, in collaboration with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) and the HLS Immigration Project (HIP), submitted comments on proposals regarding the end of the Flores v. Reno settlement.
