BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston is hearing arguments in a lawsuit challenging the arrest of immigrants seeking legal residency through marriage.
The Monday hearing will address the government's arguments to dismiss the class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, as well as the ACLU's request for temporary relief for its clients while the case continues.
The ACLU argues immigration officials are violating federal regulations permitting certain spouses of U.S. citizens to pursue lawful immigration status while remaining in the country.
The lead plaintiff in the case is Lilian Calderon, a Guatemalan woman in Rhode Island arrested following an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
She was released in February after the ACLU intervened and is among 17 individuals detained following marriage interviews this year.
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