Judge grants motion to temporarily halt deportation of Iraqi immigrants

Mark Goldsmith grants motion for preliminary injunction

DETROIT – The United States District Court has granted a motion to temporarily halt the deportation of dozens of Iraqi immigrants who were rounded up in Metro Detroit and across the county.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith granted the immigrants' motion for a preliminary injunction, ruling that each potential deportee deserves a date in court.

The immigrants asked for a stay of the deportation, saying they would be persecuted, tortured or killed if they were sent back to Iraq. The government opposed the motion, claiming the court had no jurisdiction to call a stay or halt the deportations.

Goldsmith said the government's view is "inconsistent with the Constitution's command."

"Without warning, over 1,400 Iraqi nationals discovered that their removal orders -- many of which had lain dormant for several years -- were now to be immediately enforced, following an agreement reached between the United States and Iraq to facilitate removal," the court order said.

Several detainees across the county have been transferred to detention centers. The immigrants rounded up in Metro Detroit were sent to a center in Youngstown, Ohio.

"The court grants the petitioners' motion for a preliminary injunction," the court order said.

The immigrants will remain detained during the court process.

Full court order

You can view the full court document below.

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