Oregon Ruling Spurs Halt on Immigration Detainers

A federal judge in Oregon has found that an immigrant woman's constitutional rights were violated when she was held in jail without probable cause at the request of U.S. immigration authorities, one of several recent federal court decisions to scrutinize the practice of keeping people in jail after they're eligible for release so that they can be considered for deportation.  The rulings make it clear that local officials are not required to honor immigration authorities' requests that someone in custody continue to be held even though their original charges were resolved or they are eligible for bail, and that local jurisdictions may be held liable for doing so.  The rulings have spurred several jurisdictions — from multiple Oregon counties to the city of Philadelphia — to announce they will no longer honor requests for such holds. ... The ruling has led sheriffs in Oregon's Multnomah, Washington, Marion and Deschutes counties to suspend the use of immigration holds.  The regional jail that serves Hood River, Wasco, Gilliam, and Sherman counties will also no longer comply with ICE detainer requests." - Gosia Wozniacka, AP, Apr. 17, 2014.