FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2009 Contact: Bilen Mesfin, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, 510-681-5978, bmesfin@lccr.com Laura Varela, Washington Lawyers' Committee, 202-319-1000 ext. 125, laura_varela@washlaw.org Muslim Doctor Held Under Egregious and Dangerous Conditions at Notorious Virginia Jail Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Immigration and Jail Officials ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - Two civil rights organizations announced today that they are suing immigration and jail officials in U.S. district court for wrongfully detaining a Muslim doctor at a notorious detention facility in Farmville, Virginia, under egregious and dangerous conditions. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, the lawsuit alleges violations of the constitutional rights of Dr. Farhan Bukhari, following his arrival in the U.S. in November 2007 to interview for a medical residency program. The lawsuit charges that, despite having previously traveled to the U.S. without incident and providing proper documentation of his immigration status, Dr. Bukhari was detained by immigration officials at Dulles International Airport.  He was then jailed for nine months at Piedmont Regional Jail, a facility where immigration detainees had died due to lack of medical care. During that time, he was unlawfully subjected to strip and visual body cavity searches, denied treatment for a severe respiratory infection and other medical needs, and prevented from observing the tenets of his religion. He was also prevented from meeting with his attorneys, unnecessarily prolonging his suffering at the jail.  He was finally released on September 2, 2008. "The deplorable conditions at Piedmont must end," said Laura E. Varela, director of the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project at the Washington Lawyers' Committee. "By filing this complaint, we are aiming to improve access to medical care for its immigrant detainees, and prevent additional immigrants from dying in this facility."  "Immigration officials will continue to look the other way until they are held responsible by the courts," added Philip Hwang, an attorney who directs the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project at the San Francisco Lawyers' Committee, which has brought 14 cases against immigration agents over the past decade, including lawsuits in California, Nevada, Louisiana, and Virginia. Piedmont Regional Jail, located in Farmville, Virginia, has drawn scrutiny after two detainees died there in 2006 and 2008 due to alleged lack of medical care. A review by immigration officials after the 2006 incident concluded that, "detainee health care is in jeopardy" and "the medical health care unit does not meet minimum ICE standards." The lawsuit alleges that, at the time immigration officials made the decision to house Dr. Bukhari at Piedmont, they were aware that the jail failed to meet federal standards and violated detainees' constitutional rights. About the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area: Founded in 1968, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area champions the legal rights of people of color, poor people, immigrants and refugees, with a special commitment to African-Americans.  For more information, please visit www.lccr.com About The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs: The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs was established in 1968 to provide pro bono legal services to address issues of discrimination and entrenched poverty.  Since its founding, the Committee has handled more than 5,000 cases on behalf of individuals and advocacy organizations in the areas of fair housing, equal employment, public accommodations, public education, immigrant and refugee rights, and disability rights.  For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org. About Kirkland & Ellis LLP: Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a 1,500-attorney law firm representing global clients in complex litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, corporate and tax, restructuring, and intellectual property and technology matters.  The Firm has offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.  Kirkland has a well-supported pro bono program.  Its lawyers are encouraged to contribute their professional services to those who cannot afford legal representation in the matters involving issues most important to them, such as immigration, homelessness, poverty, constitutional rights and family law.  Kirkland adheres to the tenets set forth by the ABA Pro Bono challenge, including the pledge to contribute annually 3 percent of total billable hours to pro bono work.