Case: DOE 1 v. PATEL

1:26-cv-00959 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: March 19, 2026

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding in progress

Case Summary

[This summary is temporary while we research the case.] Four individuals filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and related agencies on March 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The plaintiffs—including asylum seekers from Honduras and Kenya, a Peruvian woman residing in the U.S. since 2014, and a visa holder—alleged that federal agents conducted warrantless immigration arrests in Ohio without making individualized d…

[This summary is temporary while we research the case.]

Four individuals filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and related agencies on March 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The plaintiffs—including asylum seekers from Honduras and Kenya, a Peruvian woman residing in the U.S. since 2014, and a visa holder—alleged that federal agents conducted warrantless immigration arrests in Ohio without making individualized determinations of probable cause that arrestees were likely to escape before warrants could be obtained⁻. According to the complaint, this practice was part of a nationwide immigration enforcement operation with arrest quotas, where plainclothes agents with face coverings detained individuals without warrants⁻⁻. The plaintiffs claimed they were arrested without being shown warrants and without any pre-arrest assessment of flight risk, despite having community ties and employment that suggested they were not flight risks⁻. Immigration judges subsequently found none of the plaintiffs to be flight risks when they were released on bond.

This case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Jinan Abufarha (3/21/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72515336/parties/doe-1-v-patel/

Attorney for Plaintiff

Donovan, Margaret (District of Columbia)

Tulis, Elizabeth Murray (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Donovan, Margaret (District of Columbia)

Tulis, Elizabeth Murray (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1 1:26-cv-00959	Complaint Doe 1 v. Patel	March 19, 2026	March 19, 2026 Complaint

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72515336/doe-1-v-patel/

Last updated April 20, 2026, 3:10 a.m.

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	March 19, 2026	COMPLAINT against PAMELA J. BONDI, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, KASHYAP P. PATEL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12308663) filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet, # 6 Summons to Kashyap P. Patel, # 7 Summons to FBI, # 8 Summons to Pamela J. Bondi, # 9 Summons to DOJ, # 10 Summons to USAO-DC)(Tulis, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/19/2026) 1 Exhibit A View on PACER 2 Exhibit B View on PACER 3 Exhibit C View on PACER 4 Exhibit D View on PACER 5 Civil Cover Sheet View on PACER 6 Summons to Kashyap P. Patel View on PACER 7 Summons to FBI View on PACER 8 Summons to Pamela J. Bondi View on PACER 9 Summons to DOJ View on PACER 10 Summons to USAO-DC View on PACER	Clearinghouse
2	March 19, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Margaret Donovan on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 03/19/2026)	RECAP
3	March 19, 2026	SEALED MOTION for Leave to Proceed Under Pseudonym by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit (Filed Under Seal), # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Donovan, Margaret) Modified event on 3/20/2026 (znmw). (Entered: 03/19/2026) 1 Exhibit (Filed Under Seal) View on PACER 2 Text of Proposed Order View on PACER	RECAP
4	March 19, 2026	SEALED DOCUMENT filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2 re 1 Complaint, (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 03/19/2026)	RECAP
5	March 19, 2026	SEALED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENT UNDER SEAL filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2 (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.) (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit (Exhibit A), # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 03/19/2026)	RECAP
6	March 26, 2026	MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER: The Court ORDERS that: 1) Plaintiffs' 3 Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonyms is GRANTED, subject to any further consideration by the United States District Judge to whom this case is randomly assigned; 2) All parties shall use the pseudonyms listed in the Complaint in all documents filed in this action; and 3) Within fourteen days of this Order, Plaintiffs shall file: i) A pseudonymous version of their 3 Motion on the public docket; and ii) A sealed declaration containing their real names and residential addresses. Signed by Chief Judge James E. Boasberg on March 26, 2026. (lcjeb4) (Entered: 03/26/2026)	RECAP
7	March 27, 2026	SUMMONS (5) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 03/27/2026)	RECAP
8	March 27, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Brittany Hanke, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12325593. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - Declaration of Brittany Hanke, # 2 Exhibit B - Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Tulis, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/27/2026)	RECAP
9	March 27, 2026	ERRATA - Corrected Text of Proposed Order by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2 re 8 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice,. (Tulis, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/27/2026)	RECAP
	March 27, 2026	Case Assigned/Reassigned
	March 27, 2026	Case Assigned to Judge Jia M. Cobb. (znmw)
11	March 30, 2026	SEALED DOCUMENT (Exhibit A) filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2. re 3 Sealed Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym. (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(znmw) (Entered: 04/01/2026)	RECAP
	March 30, 2026	MINUTE ORDER granting 8 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice: Attorney Brittany Hanke is hereby admitted pro hac vice to appear in this matter. Counsel should register for e-filing via PACER and file a notice of appearance pursuant to LCvR 83.6(a). Click for instructions. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on March 30, 2026. (lcjmc3)
	March 30, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice
	March 30, 2026	Order on Sealed Motion for Leave to File Document Under Seal
	March 30, 2026	ORDER granting 5 Sealed Motion for Leave to File Document Under Seal. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on 3/30/2026. (zed)
10	April 1, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Brittany Hanke on behalf of JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2 (Hanke, Brittany) (Entered: 04/01/2026)	RECAP
12	April 6, 2026	RESPONSE TO ORDER OF THE COURT re 6 Order,,, Memorandum & Opinion,, filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit ECF No. 3 (unsealed))(Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 04/06/2026) 1 Exhibit ECF No. 3 (unsealed) View on RECAP	RECAP
13	April 6, 2026	SEALED DOCUMENT filed by JOHN DOE 1, JOHN DOE 2 re 6 Order,,, Memorandum & Opinion,, (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 04/06/2026)	RECAP
14	April 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 3/27/2026. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/26/2026. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Proof of Service - USAO-DC)(Donovan, Margaret) (Entered: 04/15/2026)	RECAP