Citing environmental concerns, federal judge’s
preliminary injunction suspends plans for center near Gilroy, Calif.
In an announcement today, the Japanese American Citizens League said it “applauds” last week’s decision by U.S. District Court Judge Eumi K. Lee to pause construction on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center proposed to be built in Santa Clara County, near Gilroy, Calif.
The state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, and the county filed a lawsuit over the summer to halt construction, claiming the project violated several state and federal statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act.
In its statement, JACL commended the county and the state of California for bringing the case, adding: “Detaining people without due process strips individuals both of rights enshrined in the Constitution and of basic human dignity. Japanese Americans were incarcerated by our own government without recourse, and we will continue to demand that no one else suffer that injustice.”
To read the JACL’s entire statement, visit here.