Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been ordered by a federal judge to change the way it conducts searches for illegal immigrants, which will now involve communicating with suspects in their native language to avoid confusion.

More than 20 Latinos sued ICE following illegal raids it carried out on Long Island in 2006 and 2007. ICE will pay the plaintiffs $1 million for illegally entering their homes and harassing them about their immigration status.

The case, Adriana Aguilar et al. v. ICE, will also result in the agency changing the way it conduct warrantless searches.

ICE will have to gain permission to enter and investigate a home, and if possible, communicate with the residents in their native language. In cases involving Spanish-speaking suspects, ICE teams must include Spanish-speaking agents.

The agency also must obtain consent in order to enter other parts of a home, such as a backyard.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Historic Legal Victory to End Terrorizing ICE Raids in Homes (by Manuel E. Avendaño, El Diario La Prensa)

Feds Settle Suit Over Raiding Latino Homes (by Barbara Leonard, Courthouse News Service)

Adriana Aguilar v. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (U.S. District Court, Southern New York) (pdf)