ATLANTA, March 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Libre by Nexus, a company that works to free immigrants from excessive and inhumane detention in the United States, has filed a motion to dismiss an egregiously false lawsuit by the Attorneys General of New York, Massachusetts and Virginia and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The motion to dismiss centers on the lack of jurisdiction by the CFPB and the Virginia Attorney General, and Libre attorneys intend to seek sanctions against the plaintiffs for knowingly filing an action without merit. 

Mike Donovan, the CEO and President of Libre by Nexus, also calls the allegations accusing the company of preying on immigrants “offensive, 100% false and detrimental to the lifesaving work the company does daily to reunite immigrants and their families.” 

The Attorneys General have resisted reform efforts to protect their most vulnerable citizens, preferring to attack a private company which provides actual relief.

“While these Attorneys General have been attacking us with false accusations, we have been out reuniting children with their parents, reconnecting families who have been torn apart at the border due to our country’s immigration policies,” said Donovan. “If our Attorneys General want to do something productive, I recommend they abolish immigration detention completely in their states or regulate it aggressively, and demand the U.S. government revamp our immigration system. We look forward to the day when our services are no longer needed.”

When immigrants are placed in detention, they often cannot afford to pay their bonds, which can be tens of thousands of dollars. Libre by Nexus enables people to be released and reunited with their families by making the bond process more accessible and affordable. Libre does this by providing support services and indemnification that make it possible for the client to obtain no-collateral immigration bond help. 

“We are completely upfront and transparent about the costs of our services. Fees pay for a bilingual case manager, travel, translation services, access to healthcare and legal referrals, as well as other needs. We also phased out GPS devices in 2020. They were only utilized in the past because our initial insurance company partners required them in order to allow us to indemnify our client’s bonds. We developed smaller and more comfortable units over time, until our partners were comfortable with none,” said Donovan. “This was only possible because the vast majority of Libre clients follow the law and go to court, and that track record has enabled us to eliminate the need for ankle or wrist tracking. We invite the state Attorneys General, all of whom use or advocate rampant use of GPS shackles, to follow our lead.”

Donovan strongly believes that the Attorneys General and the CFPB filed this lawsuit as a form of retaliation.

In recent years, Libre by Nexus has filed multiple lawsuits to ensure the rights of prisoners in Virginia, end youth solitary confinement in New York and defend the privacy rights of immigrants in Massachusetts. Libre also sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and successfully argued that its 2017 investigation of the company should be suspended. In this case, Libre by Nexus was successful in protecting their client’s confidential information and, in the prison cases, has recovered millions for victims and achieved injunctive relief against bad prison practices. 

In addition to filing the motion to dismiss, Libre by Nexus has set up toll-free numbers that victims of abusive government agents and policies can dial to have their claims reviewed by civil rights counsel. 

Victims of Government Abuse in VA, NY and MA Should Call:

Richmond Local - tel:804-655-0784
Virginia Statewide - tel:866-220-3964 

NYC Local - tel:929-470-3056
New York Statewide - tel:866-220-2587 

Boston Local - tel:781-909-6309  
Massachusetts Statewide - tel:866-220-4176 

“Our company has litigated against these agencies for years. We know that going up against a state Attorney General or the federal government in court is a daunting task,” said Mike Donovan, CEO and President of Libre by Nexus. “Imagine being an inmate or a person charged with crimes, and enduring abuse. When the state Attorney General is the lawyer of your abuser, you lose hope. My aim is to give some hope to New Yorkers, Virginians and the people of Massachusetts through a lifeline that lets them report governmental abuse and get help. I’ve leveraged our years of support of pro bono work to establish a network of volunteers ready to commit thousands of hours of legal work to advocating for the most meek and weak among us, those in cages.” 

Libre by Nexus is hopeful that this baseless lawsuit will bring the real issues of detaining immigrants into the light and pledges to keep helping those who are being unfairly and egregiously detained, tortured and separated from their families. 

About Libre by Nexus: 

Libre by Nexus gives hope and freedom to those detained in our broken, inhumane immigration system. Each and every day, we reunite families by making the immigrant bond process accessible and affordable, resulting in the successful release of tens of thousands of immigrants from detention since 2013. We currently have more than 25,000 clients nationwide. We look forward to the day when the U.S. immigration policies are reformed, and our services are no longer needed. 

Press Contact:
Jodie Singer

202-920-6284