New Jersey Superior Court Grants Access to INS Records of Detainees

Following a series of secret arrests made by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey filed a lawsuit in an effort to determine the names and dates of entry of the detainees, as well as their ages and nationalities. Earlier this week, a New Jersey Superior Court Judge ruled that the INS must provide access to their records of detainees held in jails in Hudson and Passaic counties. The Judge noted that the secret arrests made by the INS were "odious to a democracy." The federal government stated its intention to appeal the ruling, and requested and was granted a 45 day stay so that information would not be released until all appeals are exhausted. A similar case filed by the ACLU is pending in federal court on behalf of detainees nationwide.

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