ACLU gets 'class action' status in ICE lawsuit against El Paso County sheriff

A lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado challenging the way the El Paso County Sheriff works with federal immigration officials and people held in his jails is moving forward — and now has class action status.

Tuesday’s ruling by District Court Judge Eric Bentley in Colorado Springs allows the ACLU to represent current and future prisoners held in El Paso County jails who are or could be subject to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers or administrative warrants, including those who have already set bond.

At issue is a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Colorado in February accusing Sheriff Bill Elder of illegally detaining prisoners at ICE’s request.

According to the ACLU’s complaint, plaintiffs Saul Cisneros and Rut Chavez were held in the El Paso jail awaiting trial for months. Cisneros made bail, set at $2,000, shortly after his arrest, but was held on at the request of ICE. Chavez’s wife and pastor were told that Chavez would not be released on the $1,000 bond set by the El Paso County District Court, also because of an “ICE hold.”

Read more: http://www.coloradoindependent.com/170023/alcu-bill-elder-immigration-class-action-colorado