Opinion
4:20-cv-08143-HSG
07-20-2021
AKHILESH R. VANGALA; ISA.; and KENNY M. CASTANEDAPENATE, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES and U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, Defendants.
Matt Adams Matt Adams (WA 28287)* Aaron Korthuis (WA 53974)* Margot Adams (WA 56573)* Northwest Immigrant Rights Project TrinaRealmuto(CA 201088) Mary Kenney (DC 1044695)* Tiffany Lieu (WA 55175)* NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LITIGATION ALLIANCE Zachary Nightingale (CA 184501) Helen Beasley (CA 279535) VANDERHOUTLLP Attorneys for Plaintiffs STEPHANIE M. HINDS Acting United States Attorney ELIZABETH D. KURLAN Assistant United States Attorney Attorneys for Defendants
Matt Adams Matt Adams (WA 28287)*
Aaron Korthuis (WA 53974)*
Margot Adams (WA 56573)*
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
TrinaRealmuto(CA 201088)
Mary Kenney (DC 1044695)*
Tiffany Lieu (WA 55175)*
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LITIGATION ALLIANCE
Zachary Nightingale (CA 184501)
Helen Beasley (CA 279535)
VANDERHOUTLLP
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
STEPHANIE M. HINDS
Acting United States Attorney
ELIZABETH D. KURLAN
Assistant United States Attorney
Attorneys for Defendants
JOINT MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT: ORDER
Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.
The parties hereby jointly request that this Court approve and adopt the attached Settlement Agreement and dismiss this case. Attached as Exhibit 1 is the parties' Settlement Agreement that proposes a settlement of this case, as modified to reflect the Court's instructions from the Case Management Conference from July 13. 2021. The substantial relief provided by the Settlement Agreement to the Plaintiffs will also provide relief for more than sixty thousand applicants similarly situated to Plaintiffs. Although Plaintiffs' Complaint was filed as a putative class action and Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification on November 19, 2020, briefing has not been completed and no class has been certified. Furthermore, Defendants, agreed to rescind the policy challenged in the Complaint and agreed to provide relief to Plaintiffs as well as to other similarly situated individuals, as laid out in the Settlement Agreement. As such, this Court's order adopting the Settlement Agreement provides relief beyond the Plaintiffs without the need for protracted litigation and the accompanying drain of resources required to certify a class and bind class members to any such settlement. Accordingly, the Parties respectfully request this Court adopt the Settlement Agreement and dismiss this case.
ORDER
Pursuant to the stipulation of the parties, and good cause having been shown, it is hereby ordered that the Settlement Agreement Attached as Exhibit 1 is approved and the case is dismissed.
IT IS SO ORDERED.