Immigration expert available on litigation against McHenry County Sheriff

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Today a federal court greenlighted a lawsuit against the McHenry County Sheriff. Filed on behalf of people held in the McHenry County jail under immigration laws, the plaintiffs allege that they were forced to perform janitorial work without pay, and threatened with deportation if they refused, according to a statement from Federal District Court Judge Iain Johnston: “Plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged that Defendants obtained Plaintiffs’ labor or services through prohibited means,” Johnston said.

Political science professor Jacqueline Stevens is available to explain the lawsuit against McHenry County and how it fits with related class action lawsuits going forward across the country. Her research has been credited with this litigation, including a 2021 jury verdict ordering the GEO Group to pay $17.3 million in damages and $5.9 million in unjust enrichment. 

Professor Stevens also is available to respond to current policy questions about President Biden’s new plans for the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Stevens is a professor of political science and legal studies and director of the Deportation Research Clinic in Northwestern’s Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Her areas of research interest include citizenship, deportation and the rule of law. She can be reached at office 847-467-2093 and jacqueline-stevens@northwestern.edu.