Joan Alberto Zorrilla Lora v. Rebecca González et al.

An immigration judge granted bond to Dominican immigrant Joan Alberto Zorrilla Lora, a decision that marks an important step forward in the face of a detention that should never have happened. The ruling comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico filed an urgent habeas corpus petition to stop Zorrilla Lora’s transfer outside the local jurisdiction and to require that he receive a bond hearing, a process to which he was entitled.
This case also exposes the voluntary collaboration of municipal authorities with the federal immigration detention machinery. There is evidence showing that the Carolina Municipal Police played a direct role in the events that led to Zorrilla Lora’s detention by federal authorities. That intervention points to voluntary cooperation by the Municipality in immigration enforcement functions, even though no 287(g) agreement exists delegating that type of authority.