Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-07151/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-07151-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 899
Nature of Suit: Other Statutes - Administrative Procedure Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision
Cause of Action: 05:551 Administrative Procedure Act

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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR NATIONWIDE PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION 

CASE NO. 3:19-CV-07151-MMC 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

THE CITY OF SEATTLE, et al., 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY, et al., 

Defendants. 

Case No. 3:19-CV-07151-MMC

[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING 

PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR 

NATIONWIDE PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION 

Case 3:19-cv-07151-MMC Document 65 Filed 12/11/19 Page 1 of 3
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR NATIONWIDE PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION 

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On November 6, 2019, Plaintiffs the City of Seattle, OneAmerica, the Immigrant Legal 

Resource Center, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Self-Help for the Elderly, and Central 

American Resource Center of California (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed a Motion for a Preliminary 

Injunction (the “Motion”) (Dkt. 25) to enjoin Defendants the Department of Homeland Security, 

Chad E. Wolf in his official capacity as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Kenneth T. 

Cuccinelli in his official capacity as Acting Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration 

Services, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) (collectively, the 

“Defendants”) from enforcing changes to the process and criteria for requesting fee waivers from 

USCIS for the costs of immigration benefit applications and petitions announced by USCIS in the 

October 25, 2019 news release available at https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscisupdates-fee-waiver-requirements (last visited December 10, 2019) and reflected in the October 24, 

2019 version of the USCIS Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, see ECF No. 24-1 at 61–69; and 

the October 25, 2019 USCIS Policy Alert, see ECF No. 24-1 at 71, and the revisions described 

therein to the USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1: General Policies and Procedures, Part B, 

Submission of Benefit Requests, Chapter 3, Fees and Chapter 4, Fee Waivers that were issued on 

October 25, 2019 and took effect on December 2, 2019, see ECF No. 24-1 at 83–98 (the “2019 Fee 

Waiver Revisions”). 

A hearing on the Motion was held on December 9, 2019, Jessica Marsden of Protect 

Democracy Project and Niketa K. Patel of Mayer Brown LLP appearing for plaintiffs, and Julie 

Straus Harris of the U.S. Department of Justice appearing for defendants. 

The Court, having considered the Motion and the documents filed therewith, all of the 

papers on file in this action, and the evidence and arguments presented at the hearing, hereby 

GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Motion. In particular, for the reasons stated on the record at the hearing, the 

Court finds (1) plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the 2019 Fee Waiver 

Revisions were established without compliance with the procedures required by the Administrative 

Procedure Act, (2) plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm absent the requested relief, (3) the 

balance of equities tips in plaintiffs’ favor, and (4) an injunction is in the public interest, and 

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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR NATIONWIDE PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION 

CASE NO. 3:19-CV-07151-MMC 

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nationwide application thereof is the only practicable way in which to give plaintiffs the relief to 

which they are entitled. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

Defendants, and their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and any other 

persons who are in active concert or participation with them, ARE HEREBY RESTRAINED AND 

ENJOINED from implementing or enforcing the 2019 Fee Waiver Revisions, including by 

requiring fee waiver applicants to use the revised Form I-912, by requiring submission of a tax 

transcript to demonstrate income, and/or by not accepting evidence of receipt of a means-tested 

public benefit as evidence of inability to pay as described in the revised USCIS Policy Manual 

Volume 1: General Policies and Procedures, Part B, Submission of Benefit Requests, Chapter 3, 

Fees and Chapter 4, Fee Waivers which were issued on October 25, 2019 and took effect on 

December 2, 2019. This Preliminary Injunction shall take effect immediately and shall remain in 

effect pending resolution of this action on the merits or further order of this Court. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Date: December 11, 2019 ___________________________________ 

 HONORABLE MAXINE M. CHESNEY 

 United States District Judge 

Case 3:19-cv-07151-MMC Document 65 Filed 12/11/19 Page 3 of 3