USDC DNJ
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DOCUMENT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY ELECTRONICALLY FILED
DOC #: ___________________
April 17, 2020
DATE FILED: _______________
In re: :
Habeas Petitions from Immigration : STANDING ORDER 2020-10
Detainees Seeking Immediate Release :
Due to COVID-19 :
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Court has received dozens of emergency habeas
petitions from immigration detainees seeking immediate release from detention, pursuant to
28 U.S.C. § 2241. Many of these actions are filed by multiple petitioners who are detained at
different facilities within the State of New Jersey, and are thereby exposed to varying conditions.
Additionally, these petitioners differ in their underlying medical conditions which allegedly
place them at greater risk if they contract COVID-19. Therefore, given the uniqueness of each
petitioner’s circumstances,
IT IS this 17th day of April, 2020,
ORDERED that immigration detainees seeking immediate release due to the COVID-19
pandemic shall file their habeas petitions individually, without co-petitioners; and it is further
ORDERED that should these cases be filed with multiple petitioners, the Clerk shall
sever the petitioners after the first named petitioner and file all documents in the originally
opened case into separate individual actions with one named petitioner, each with his/her own
civil action number; the first named petitioner shall remain as the only named petitioner in the
initially opened case; and it is further
ORDERED that should these multi-petitioner cases be transferred in from another
District, the Clerk shall sever the petitioners after the first named petitioner and file all
documents in the originally opened case into separate individual actions with one named
petitioner, each with his/her own civil action number; the first named petitioner shall remain as
the only named petitioner in the initially opened case; and it is further
ORDERED that when these multi-petitioner cases are severed, each severed petitioner
shall be responsible for paying the applicable filing fee or submitting a completed application to
proceed in forma pauperis; and it is further
ORDERED that all initial multi-petitioner cases and those resulting from the severance
of petitioners shall be randomly assigned to individual judicial officers; and it is further
ORDERED that this Standing Order shall not apply to multi-petitioner cases which have
been opened prior to the date of this Order; however, a judicial officer assigned a multi-petitioner
case opened prior to this date may, in his/her discretion, order the severance of petitioners; and it
is further
ORDERED that this Standing Order shall take effect in cases transferred and/or filed in
this District after the date of this Order.
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Hon. Fredaa L. Wolfsonn
U.S.
U S Chief District Judge
Juudg
d e
District of New Jersey
