Rhode Island Affiliate, American Civil Liberties Union

Immigration Court Cases

Qu V. Central Falls
Detention Facility Corporation

On February 9, 2009 the RI ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the family of Hiu Lui (“Jason”) Ng, a 34-year-old Chinese detainee who died last August while in the custody of immigration officials at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls.

The lawsuit documents what it calls “cruel, inhumane, malicious and sadistic behavior” against Ng, and alleges that more than two dozen defendants, including officials and employees of both the Wyatt facility and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), violated his constitutional rights in myriad ways.

Updates:

• July 23, 2010 - ACLU Adds Memorial Hospital And Others As Defendants In Case Of Wyatt Detention Center Detainee Who Died In Custody
• June 15, 2010 - Judge Rejects Request By ICE To Be Dropped From Lawsuit Over Death of Immigrant Detainee
• April 19, 2010 - ACLU Opposes Efforts to Block Public Release of Detention Facility Videotapes in the Jason Ng Case
• March 3, 2010 - ACLU Objects to Request by ICE to Be Dropped from Lawsuit Over Death of Immigrant Detainee
• March 26, 2009
  Key Witness in Wyatt Case Will Not Be Deported Before Trial
• February 19, 2009
  RI ACLU Criticizes Central Falls’ Proposal to Sell Wyatt Detention Center
  
• February 9, 2009
  Rhode Island ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Family of Wyatt Center Detainee Who Died in Custody
  
• December 1, 2008
  ACLU Charges Wyatt Detention Facility With Misleading Public on Death of Immigrant Detainee
• September 29, 2008
  ACLU Agrees to Represent Family of Chinese Detainee Who Died at Wyatt Detention Facility
  

Documents:

• Lawsuit filed by the ACLU.
• Brief biography of Hiu Lui Ng.
• ACLU letter to the Central Falls mayor expressing concern over the city's response to Ng's death.
• Transcript of the hearing where the ACLU's charged that Wyatt officials were deliberately misleading in their public pronouncements on the death of Hiu Lui Ng.
• Motion to Dismiss and drop ICE from the lawsuit, filed by the federal government. 
• Memorandum in Opposition of Motion to Dismiss, filed by ACLU
• ACLU memo in respone to defendent's motion for a protective order to prevent public disclosure of videotapes.