COVID-19 Affecting Clients and Case Progress

The world is in the midst of a pandemic and every aspect of our society is being affected.  Equal Justice Under Law is no exception.  This crisis is taking its toll on the clients we represent, and with widespread court closures, many lawsuits are at a temporary halt. 

COVID-19 is particularly dangerous for those in detention.  A client in our class action lawsuit in New York — held in an immigration detention facility — is one of the many people at-risk behind bars.  He has pre-existing heart conditions and is therefore especially susceptible to the virus.  The Equal Justice Under Law team is working to get him released and making efforts to expedite the review of our case.

Recently, the Attorney General sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons encouraging the use of home detention with GPS tracking based on a computer-based risk assessment algorithm.  These lower risk people are already eligible for release, and they should be released without the biases of a computerized risk assessment algorithm or the many difficulties of GPS tracking devices.  COVID-19 is a dangerous threat to those in confined institutional settings, with poor medical care and close living conditions.

Before, during, and after the Coronavirus pandemic, Equal Justice Under Law represents people who are being detained unjustly.  Our work seeks to lessen excessive detention rates nationwide.  In response to the pandemic, we are collaborating with other groups to protect people from COVID-19 and draw attention to this issue.

The circumstances surrounding the pandemic are changing by the day.  We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about how those we serve are being impacted.