FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. SUPREME COURT PERMITS JUDICIAL REVIEW FOR A VULNERABLE IMMIGRANT POPULATION

[Atlanta, GA, Tuesday, June 2, 2020] On June 1, 2020, in a precedential 7-2 decision in the case of Nasrallah v Barr, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that judicial review is critical to a noncitizen’s ability to seek protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).  The decision brings to rest a long-standing debate over whether appellate courts have jurisdiction to go beyond legal and constitutional challenges to review facts forming the basis of a denial under The Convention. 

“We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision, which comes on the heels of a steady, systematic erosion of immigration protections in our country,” said Alpa Amin, the Director of Legal Services at the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN).

GAIN, represented by Alston & Bird associate Cassandra Johnson and former partner Aaron Block, joined a national coalition of legal service providers to file an amicus brief in the case. Together, the group made an impassioned plea for judicial review – which provides a final safeguard against removal to a country where an individual may be subject to torture/trauma.  “The Supreme Court’s decision grants broader oversight of the overburdened immigration courts and paves the path for future cases challenging limitations on judicial review,” stated Attorney Cassie Johnson.

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Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN) is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 2005, GAIN has provided free immigration legal services to victims of crimes and persecution, serving thousands of vulnerable immigrants and working with Georgia’s law firms to provide over $15 million in pro bono legal services. GAIN’s vision is safety, freedom, and opportunity for all. For more information, visit GAIN’s website at georgisasylum.org or contact Alpa Amin, Director of Legal Services, at 678-335-6040, ext. 102 or aamin@georgiaasylum.org