Yale law students will file a lawsuit tomorrow against the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging unconstitutional practices throughout the agency’s chain of command.

The two law students are representing 10 New Haven residents who claim that ICE’s June 6, 2007 immigration raids were illegal. The suit targets not only the agents who participated in the raid, but the mid- and high-ranking officials who the plaintiffs say caused the infringements of the residents’ civil rights. The Yale lawyers say the raid was in retaliation against the launch of the Elm City Resident Card, a citywide project that provides identification to all residents, regardless of immigration status. ICE has said repeatedly that the raid was a routine enforcement action in full accordance with the law.

Click here to read the statement released today by the Yale lawyers on the New Haven Independent Web site.

Click here to read “Feds arrest dozens of illegal immigrants in New Haven raids” from June 6, 2007. Click here and here to read the News’ two-part special report that reconstructs the 2007 immigration raids, “A safe haven, raided” and “The unmaking of a haven.”

Read more about the lawsuit in tomorrow’s News.

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