Federal agencies setting ‘trap’ to deport immigrants – ACLU lawsuit

This file photo shows immigrants submitting applications at a USCIS office. AP PHOTO

BOSTON  — A civil rights group says federal immigration officials are violating the rights of immigrants seeking legal status by setting a deportation “trap” at their required interviews.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts says in a legal brief filed Monday that documents show U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is actively coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to facilitate arrests when people visit USCIS offices for marriage interviews.

The brief is part of a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of immigrants who have been or fear being separated from their U.S.-citizen spouses.

Among the plaintiffs is Lilian Calderon, a Guatemalan woman in Rhode Island detained by ICE at her USCIS interview. She was released in February.

Representatives of  didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.