Sacramento, CA — February 12, 2026 — Today, Singleton Schreiber LLP filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of California Assemblywoman Maggy Krell, against the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), seeking to compel the release of critical public records related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests taking place at immigration courts in California and nationwide.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleges that EOIR has unlawfully violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by refusing to produce documents in response to Assemblywoman’s Krell’s narrow requests designed to uncover what transpired when EOIR unlawfully denied public access to immigration courts while ICE conducted its raids.
The requested records concern EOIR’s role in facilitating a sweeping shift in immigration enforcement that began in May 2025, when ICE started arresting noncitizens attending their legally required immigration court hearings. Plaintiffs seek records detailing EOIR guidance, communications with ICE and DHS, courthouse closure directives, and security footage documenting arrests conducted inside or immediately outside immigration courts.
“These arrests represent a radical departure from decades of practice and have effectively turned immigration courts into sites of ambush,” said Andrew D. Bluth of Singleton Schreiber LLP, counsel for Plaintiffs. “EOIR is legally required to turn over documents and communications that explain how and why this policy shift occurred, as well as footage from inside its abruptly shuttered courthouses. Instead, it has stonewalled.”
Assemblywoman Krell, whose district includes the Sacramento Immigration Court, submitted a FOIA request August 2025 after members of the public, attorneys, and family members were locked out of immigration court buildings while arrests were taking place inside. Despite submitting narrowly tailored requests and repeatedly agreeing to further refinements, Ms. Krell have not received a single responsive document.
Assemblymember Krell has also introduced AB 1544, a bill that safeguards press access to public court proceedings by prohibiting judges or law enforcement from excluding credentialed media from courtrooms or court facilities during hearings open to the public.
Federal courts across the country have already raised serious constitutional concerns about these practices. Judges in multiple jurisdictions have found that immigration court arrests may violate due process, chill access to justice, and unlawfully coerce individuals into expedited removal. In some cases, courts have ordered detainees released or stayed EOIR guidance facilitating these dismissals and arrests.
“FOIA exists to ensure transparency precisely when government conduct is controversial, contested, and actively harming communities,” Bluth said. “EOIR’s refusal to disclose these records deprives the public of information essential to understanding what is happening inside immigration courts right now.”
The lawsuit seeks expedited judicial review, immediate processing of the FOIA requests, disclosure of all non-exempt records, attorneys’ fees, and a declaration that EOIR has violated federal transparency law.
About Singleton Schreiber
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm specializing in civil rights, sexual abuse, mass torts, and personal injury/wrongful death. With over a decade of commitment to justice, the firm stands up for marginalized and harmed communities. As leaders in litigating sexual assault and abuse, Singleton Schreiber relentlessly pursues accountability for perpetrators and enabling institutions.
Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented more than 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims and played leading roles in cases such as the 2025 Eaton Fire, Moss Landing Battery Fire, Esparto Fireworks Explosion, and the 2023 Maui Fires. Singleton Schreiber is also pursuing cases against Tesla for its misrepresented autopilot system, leading national hair relaxer litigation, and advocating for survivors of abuse involving major hotel chains.
The firm fights to restore dignity and secure justice for all who have suffered systemic wrongdoing.
