Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-01752/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-01752-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1345 U.S. Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATE DEPARTMENT OF 

HOMELAND SECURITY, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS 

ENFORCEMENT,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

HAMZA YALDIZ,

Defendant.

CASE NO. 3:19-cv-1752-GPC-WVG

ORDER GRANTING EX PARTE 

APPLICATION FOR EMERGENCY 

TEMPORARY RESTRAINING 

ORDER AND REQUEST FOR 

EXPEDITED PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION HEARING

[ECF No. 2.]

On September 12, 2019, Plaintiff U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE” or “Plaintiff”) filed a Complaint, ECF 

No. 1, and an Ex Parte Application for Emergency Temporary Restraining Order, ECF

No. 2, to allow Plaintiff to (1) immediately and involuntary hydrate Mr. Hamza Yaldiz

(“Defendant”), (2) perform physical evaluations on Defendant, and (3) restrain Defendant

in the process, if necessary. Plaintiff requests this “to prevent injury, organ failure, or loss 

of life due to Defendant’s self-imposed hunger strike.” ECF No. 1 at ¶ 8. This motion is 

supported by the declarations of Mr. James Dobson, ICE Assistant Field Office Director, 

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and Dr. Joanne P. Keenan, Staff Physician at the Otay Mesa Detention Center

(“OMDC”). ECF Nos. 1-2 (“Dobson Decl.”), 1-3 (“Keenan Decl.”).

Defendant Hamza Yaldiz, currently in the custody of ICE at OMDC, has been on a 

hunger strike since August 28, 2019 and has missed 42 meals since that date. Keenan 

Decl. ¶ 6; Dobson Decl. ¶ 3. Defendant is drinking water but at a level markedly below 

what is necessary to maintain normal baseline functions. Keenan Decl. ¶ 6.

Dr. Keenan has counseled Defendant as to the risks he faces from the decreased 

nutritional intake associated with his hunger strike. Keenan Decl. ¶¶ 19-22. Defendant

has, nonetheless, declined any meals and promised to remove any intravenous (“IV”)

fluid lines or feeding tubes used to provide him with nourishment. Keenan Decl. ¶ 16-22; 

Dobson Decl. ¶ 6-7. 

Defendant will face grievous bodily harm, and potentially death, if there is no 

immediate medical intervention. Keenan Decl. ¶ 21; Dobson Decl. ¶ 6-9. Dr. Keenan -

opines that it is medically necessary to place an IV line, administer appropriate fluids 

through this IV line, and apply soft restraints to prevent Defendant from removing said 

IV line or causing greater harm to himself and the medical staff that are treating him. 

Keenan Decl. ¶ 26. Dr. Keenan also opines that it is medically necessary to perform 

physical evaluations and a variety of laboratory tests to monitor Defendant’s medical 

condition as he recuperates. Keenan Decl. ¶ 24-25.

Plaintiff requests an immediate order allowing it, through competent medical 

practitioners employed by or contracted with the Public Health Service and ICE Health 

Service Corps, to (1) involuntarily hydrate Defendant; (2) perform physical evaluations 

on Defendant, take his vital signs, and perform laboratory testing; and (3) restrain 

Defendant, if necessary, to accomplish these procedures. ECF No. 2 at 6.

When considering a temporary restraining order, the Court must evaluate whether 

the “(1) the moving party will suffer irreparable injury if the injunctive relief is not 

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granted; (2) there is a substantial likelihood that the moving party will succeed on the 

merits; (3) in balancing the equities the nonmoving party will not be harmed more than 

the moving party is helped; and (4) granting injunctive relief is in the public interest.”

City of Tenakee Springs v. Block, 778 F.2d 1402, 1407 (9th Cir. 1985) (citing Martin v. 

International Olympic Committee, 740 F.2d 670, 674–75 (9th Cir.1984)).

Here, the Court finds that the Tenakee Springs factors weigh in favor of granting 

Plaintiff’s application. See, e.g., United States Department of Homeland Security v. 

Ivanov, No. 19-cv-1573-DMS-MDD, Docket No. 6 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 22, 2019) (granting 

order); United States v. Glushchenko, No. CV1904678PHXSPLJFM, 2019 WL 3290334, 

at *1 (D. Ariz. July 22, 2019) (same); United States v. Onyango, No. 14-cv-0401-JAHNLS, Docket No. 8 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 25, 2014) (same). Defendant’s deteriorating physical 

state and potential loss of life both create a risk of irreparable harm. Preventing further 

harm to Defendant, moreover, is in the public interest. In addition, the Court finds that 

Plaintiff is likely to succeed in showing that its interests in preserving life and 

discharging its duties to care for those in its custody outweigh any interest Defendant 

might have in expressing himself through a hunger strike. See Grand Jury Subpoena John 

Doe v. United States, 150 F.3d 170, 172 (2d Cir. 1998) (holding that force-feeding 

detainee on hunger strike does not violate his constitutional rights as “the preservation of 

life, prevention of suicide, and enforcement of prison security, order, and discipline, 

outweigh the constitutional rights asserted by” the detainee); In re Soliman, 134 F. Supp. 

2d 1238, 1253–58 (N.D. Ala. 2001) (same).

In light of the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s Ex Parte 

Application for Emergency Temporary Restraining Order. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Competent medical practitioners employed by or contracted with the Public Health 

Service and ICE Health Service Corps may:

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a. Involuntarily hydrate Defendant by placing an IV line and administering

appropriate fluids through it; 

b. Perform physical evaluations on Defendant, including taking his vital signs

and performing the laboratory testing indicated as necessary by Dr. Keenan

in his declaration, see Keenan Decl. ¶ 24; and

c. Restrain Defendant to accomplish these procedures and prevent further 

injury, organ failure, and/or death.

2. This temporary restraining order shall expire on September 16, 2019 at 5:00 PM.

3. A preliminary injunction hearing shall be held on September 16, 2019 at 1:30 PM

in Courtroom 2D. In the event that Plaintiff shall not seek a preliminary 

injunction, it shall notify the Court and, absent objections, the preliminary

injunction hearing will be vacated, without prejudice to the Plaintiff.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 12, 2019

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