Settlement Reached with DHS to Allow Mother to Complete Residency Application

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Jesse Vad, [email protected]

Emma Gillett, [email protected]

NEW ORLEANS — The Department of Homeland Security agreed to allow Marina Cruz Alanis, who has been trapped in immigration detention for more than eight months and is the mother of a U.S. citizen, to attend her biometrics appointment, to submit fingerprints and photos, and complete her application for lawful permanent residence.

The settlement comes after the ACLU of Louisiana and the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center sued DHS for refusing to transport Alanis to her U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services appointment.

Marina Cruz Alanis has lived in the U.S. since 2015. She has no criminal background and has followed the legal process to attain permanent residency. Her daughter is a naturalized citizen, which permits Alanis to immediately apply for permanent residency.

The only thing that stood in the way between her and the processing of her application for lawful permanent residence was her missing biometrics, scheduled to be taken at an appointment at the Jackson, Mississippi U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. But ICE had previously refused in writing to transport her there, claiming that once detained the U.S. government had no obligation to assist her with obtaining a benefit that would otherwise be available to her if she were free.

In December 2025, DHS adopted new policies that prevent detained people from completing applications for immigration status for which they’re qualified. Under those policies, ICE refuses to transport detained people to USCIS appointments and USCIS refuses to send representatives to ICE detention centers. Without biometrics, USCIS considers the applications abandoned, leaving ICE free to move forward with deportation. The lawsuit asked a federal judge to vacate the new policies and order a return to previous practice, where ICE would collect biometrics for people in its custody.

"This was a transparent and vindictive attempt by the government to detain and deport yet another lawful immigrant in its campaign of terror against immigrant communities,” said Nora Ahmed, legal director for the ACLU of Louisiana. “Marina is a mother working to follow our country’s laws. But it is the administration that is trying to prevent her from doing so. This administration claims to target 'criminals,' but this case proves they're simply terrorizing lawful immigrants to meet deportation quotas. The law doesn't matter to them. Her compliance doesn't matter to them. Cruelty is the point."

The case was jointly dismissed after, in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, which the parties read into the court record, DHS provided for the transportation of Alanis to her biometrics appointment.

"Marina Cruz's case exposes a rigged system: the administration demands immigrants play by the rules, then quietly eliminates the rules that Congress wrote to protect them from deportation,” said Anthony Enriquez, Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center. “Cutting off access to required biometric appointments isn't enforcing immigration law. It's running a crooked game to guarantee the outcome the administration wants."

Alanis was arrested in May 2025 at a routine ICE check-in after the administration began implementing mandatory detention for all non-citizens regardless of any other considerations. She was sent to Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana and has been trapped there for more than eight months.

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The ACLU of Louisiana leads the charge to protect the civil rights and liberties of Louisianians, especially those most marginalized and historically harmed. True to our founding during the Civil Rights Movement, we are fearless in the face of intimidation and fight tirelessly to protect and empower Louisiana’s Black, Brown, Immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. We are part of a nationwide network of affiliates working in courts, legislatures, and communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.

The Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that works across the courtroom, the boardroom, and the classroom to build a more just and peaceful world. Inspired by the legacies of Senator Robert and Ethel Kennedy, we work with international and domestic partners to protect fundamental human rights. We pursue strategic litigation to hold governments accountable at home and around the world; foster a social good approach to business; and train the next generation of changemakers through our human rights education programs.