A Colorado federal judge certified a U visa application for the class representative in a 2014 suit involving forced labor claims against private prison company GEO Group, after he told the court that immigration officials said he could be detained during a check-in this week.
Law360
Immigration
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Colo. Judge Certifies U Visa App In GEO Forced Labor Suit

By Britain Eakin

A Colorado federal judge certified a U visa application for the class representative in a 2014 suit involving forced labor claims against private prison company GEO Group, after he told the court that immigration officials said he could be detained during a check-in this week.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ICE Ordered To Improve Conditions At Manhattan Facility

By Rae Ann Varona

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to improve conditions for migrants detained at a Manhattan immigration holding facility, saying detainees at the federal building needed protection from alleged "unconstitutional and inhumane treatment."

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

IRS-ICE Pact Allows For Mass Tax Data Swaps, DC Circ. Told

By Kat Lucero

An information sharing agreement between the IRS and immigration enforcement agencies allows for disclosure of confidential tax information on a mass scale, as evidenced by an IRS official's declaration in a taxpayer group's suit, immigration advocacy groups challenging the agreement told the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LITIGATION

Trump Admin Can't Get Suit Challenging Voting Order Tossed

By Chris Villani

A Massachusetts federal judge declined Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's executive order requiring physical proof of citizenship to vote and invalidating ballots received after Election Day.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Texas Judge Slashes Suit Over Anti-Sanctuary Law

By Britain Eakin

A Texas federal judge gutted a suit by local governments and officials challenging a Texas law prohibiting local officials from limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, tossing claims against the state and Gov. Greg Abbott and leaving Attorney General Ken Paxton as the sole state defendant.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EXPERT ANALYSIS

Series

Adapting To Private Practice: From Va. AUSA To Mid-Law

Returning to the firm where I began my career after seven years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia has been complex, nuanced and rewarding, and I’ve learned that the pursuit of justice remains the constant, even as the mindset and client change, says Kristin Johnson at Woods Rogers.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LEGAL INDUSTRY

Litigation Spending To Keep Growing As Biz Risks Run High

By Jack Karp

Companies are likely to increase their spending on litigation next year, some by over 10%, as legal disputes become more complex, more contentious and more high-stakes, according to a new report out Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Calif. Judge Gets 35 Years For Shooting Wife To Death

By Gina Kim

Former California state court judge Jeffrey M. Ferguson lost his bid for a new trial Wednesday and was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison for shooting his wife to death at home in a drunken rage, with the presiding judge expressing sympathy for his "extraordinary" son who tried to save his mother's life.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feds Want 3 Years For Girardi Son-In-Law's Chicago Contempt

By Lauraann Wood

Tom Girardi's son-in-law should receive a three-year prison sentence for his admitted role in helping the once-celebrated plaintiffs' lawyer steal millions from Lion Air crash victims, federal prosecutors in Chicago argued Wednesday.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Winston & Strawn Blamed For 'Anti-Woke' Fintech $1.7B Crash

By Lauren Berg

The trustee of bankrupt "anti-woke" financial technology startup GloriFi on Wednesday launched malpractice litigation against Winston & Strawn LLP in Texas bankruptcy court, accusing the firm and one of its managing partners of putting the interests of the company's founder first and costing the business $1.7 billion in valuation.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

7th Circ. Pick Shrugs Off Conservative Group's Opposition

By Courtney Bublé

During her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Rebecca Taibleson, a federal prosecutor in Wisconsin tapped for the Seventh Circuit, fended off opposition to her nomination from conservative groups, antipathy that the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee called a "new low" for the committee.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

House Votes To End DC Judicial Nominations Commission

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-211 along party lines on Wednesday to eliminate the commission that vets and picks potential judicial nominees for Washington, D.C.'s local courts.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Retired Judges Speak Out On 'Threats' To Constitution

By Courtney Bublé

More than 40 retired federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties released an open letter Wednesday, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, saying they sought to underscore the importance of the rule of law at a time when the nation's ideals "are under historic strain."

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Del. Judge's US Atty Application Plan Draws Blanche's Ire

By Lauren Berg

Delaware's chief district judge, a Trump appointee, is seeking applications for the state's U.S. attorney position to prepare for an upcoming vacancy in the interim position, a move that drew the ire of Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Giuliani Must Pay Attys $1.4M After Missing Bills Claim Fails

By Adrian Cruz

A New York state judge has awarded nearly $1.4 million to Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP in its lawsuit accusing former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of racking up unpaid legal bills for the firm's work in various criminal, civil and administrative matters.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Criminal Restitution Fails Defendants, Victims, Report Says

By Brandon Lowrey

Federal criminal restitution often fails to benefit victims of crime and throws defendants into a "Sisyphean struggle" with debt, with $100 billion in outstanding restitution deemed uncollectable, according to a report released this week by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SEC Policy Shift Could Foreclose Some Investor Class Actions

By Jessica Corso

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a policy statement Wednesday that allows the use of mandatory arbitration by new publicly traded companies as its chief seeks to "make IPOs great again," but Democrats warned the move could shut the door to shareholder class actions.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Law Student's Bias Suit In Wrong Forum, 4th Circ. Told

By Patrick Hoff

A Black former student at Washington University School of Law shouldn't be able to revive claims that she was suspended from campus and lost her scholarship after complaining about a professor's race bias because she filed the suit in the wrong state, the law school told the Fourth Circuit.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Could Swing Fed With This 1 Weird Trick: Ex-Fed Gov.

By Jon Hill

A former top Federal Reserve official told Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday that if President Donald Trump succeeds in quickly ousting Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, it could unlock an obscure mechanism for his allies at the Fed to sway future interest-rate decisions.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Promo that reads Law360 Pulse Summer Associates Survey: Part 2 Promo that reads 2025 Regional Powerhouses

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Burns Figa

Chapman & Cutler

Cheronis & Parente

Davidoff Hutcher

Edelson PC

Gibson Dunn

Girardi & Keese

Kirkland & Ellis

Lewis Rice

Meyer Law Office

Outten & Golden

Quinn Emanuel

Saul Ewing

Skadden Arps

Troutman

Winston & Strawn

Woods Rogers

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

American Civil Liberties Union

American Family Association

BTI Consulting Group Inc.

CME Group Inc.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums

George Washington University

Georgia State University

Make the Road New York

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

New York Civil Liberties Union

Public Citizen Inc.

The District of Columbia Bar

Twitter Inc.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

California Attorney General's Office

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Election Assistance Commission

Executive Office of the President

Federal Election Commission

Federal Reserve System

Internal Revenue Service

New York Supreme Court, New York County

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the District of Colorado