U.S. authorities inflict torture and other cruel and degrading treatment on transgender people in immigration detention, including prolonged solitary confinement, sexual and physical abuse, and denial of essential medical care.

These lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeks documents related to standards of care and other policies concerning transgender people in immigration detention, including training standards for government employees.

Why is this a key case?

Records of detention center policies and practices are the basis of lawsuits to stop abusive treatment. In the short term, once policies and practices are released, violations of those policies can be shown, and courts can enforce compliance.

In the long term, groups like Transgender Law Center can use the information and data released in lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act to build political power for the movement to end detention of transgender immigrants.

What is the status of this case?

In February 2025, the District Court of the District of Columbia awarded partial summary judgment to plaintiffs, finding that ICE had not conducted adequate searches for documents and that it had improperly withheld documents that were responsive to plaintiffs’ FOIA request.

The cases continue in litigation, with ongoing document production.

August 12, 2021
Complaint filed in Southern District of New York

August 12, 2021
Complaint filed in District Court of Washington D.C.