Austin Sanctuary Case — Just Futures Law

Austin Sanctuary Network et al v. Gaynor el al

This lawsuit challenged the U.S. immigration agencies and officials for targeting religious sanctuary leaders with retaliatory and exorbitant civil fines. Each of the individual plaintiffs is a leader in the modern sanctuary movement and has taken sanctuary in a house of worship. Those plaintiffs, along with Austin Sanctuary Network and Free Migration Project, have brought claims under the First and Eighth Amendments and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, alleging that the government’s discriminatory and retaliatory issuance of these exorbitant civil fines infringes upon their rights of free speech, association, and religion, as well as their right to be free from excessive fines. Among other forms of relief, the plaintiffs are suing for a permanent injunction restraining ICE from selectively enforcing its civil fines policy, damages, and a formal apology for the harm that ICE’s targeting has caused. In 2021, DHS ended their civil fines policy for immigrants who "failed to depart." We reached individual settlements on behalf of the plaintiffs in June 2023.