Insights
Firm News

Farella Braun + Martel, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Prevail with a $65,000 Settlement for Once Deported African Woman

April 24, 2006 Announcement

San Francisco (April 24, 2006) – After almost two years in court, the United States has agreed to pay $65,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a young African woman who was abused by U.S. immigration agents at San Francisco International Airport.  The settlement was filed Apr. 12 at the federal courthouse in San Francisco, thanks to Tony Schoenberg, a partner at Farella Braun + Martel who represented the plaintiff pro bono in conjunction with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

In 2002, Tsungai Tungwarara, then 18 years old, flew from Zimbabwe to San Francisco to visit her family in the Bay Area.  Despite having a valid tourist visa, Tungwarara was jailed by airport immigration agents and subjected to a strip search.  Tungwarara was taken to a local jail facility in violation of a Sept. 29, 2000 Department of Justice policy memorandum, which declares that jail is “not appropriate in non-criminal cases.”  When Tungwarara’s mother tried to intervene, an immigration inspector told her, “We won’t allow these people here – not after September 11th.  Go back to the jungle.”  The next day, immigration agents forced Tungwarara to return to Zimbabwe.

In her defense, Farella Braun + Martel and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights filed suit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in June 2004.  In October, the federal district court issued a precedent-setting decision in the case, ruling that the strip search was unconstitutional.  The case was scheduled for trial in April 2006, but the federal government agreed to settle.

“What happened to my client was a great injustice.  I am pleased that we were able to reach a settlement that will provide her with compensation for the terrible ordeal she went through,” said Schoenberg.

About Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Since its founding in 1962, Farella Braun + Martel has achieved a national reputation for the acumen of its business practice, the high profile cases of its complex commercial litigation practice and its prestigious client base. Based in San Francisco, the firm serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses. The firm also has an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry and related businesses.
www.fbm.com

Contact: 
David Bruns, Marketing Director                        Melinda Faith/Traci Stuart
Farella Braun + Martel                                         Allison Blattel PR
415.954.4433                                                        415.397.4811
[email protected]                                                [email protected]/[email protected]

Firm Highlights

Event

The New Frontier AI Legal Issues for In-House Counsel

Sushila Chanana is a panelist for the session, "The New Frontier AI Legal Issues for In-House Counsel,"   at the Bar Association of San Francisco's In-House Counsel Conference 2024. To register for the event, please click ...

Read More
Publication

An Introduction to DAFs and Overview of the Newly Proposed DAF Regulations

Welcome to EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I’m Cynthia Rowland, and episode 62 describes new proposed regulations important to the administration of donor advised funds. The Internal Revenue Service and the...

Read More
Publication

A Summary of New Laws Coming for California Employers in 2024

In 2023, California has adopted several new employment laws either introducing new employee protections or codifying existing practices into state law. With these changes, employers will need to examine and adjust some of their...

Read More
Publication

California Proposes New AI & Automated Decision-Making Technology Regulations

The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) released its draft  regulatory framework for automated decision-making technology (ADMT) on November 27. These regulations are a preview of what new requirements may look like for companies currently...

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns 2024 Best Law Firms® Rankings

Read More
Event

2024 Environmental & Energy, Mass Torts, and Products Liability Litigation Committees' Joint Regional CLE Program

Sarah Bell will moderate the panel "PFAS: Everything Everywhere All at Once"  at the American Bar Association's 2024 Environmental & Energy, Mass Torts, and Products Liability Litigation Committees' Joint Regional CLE Program. Session Overview: PFAS...

Read More
Publication

New Proposed Regulations Defining Donor Advised Fund Terms

Welcome to EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Episode 63 explores new proposed regulations important to the administration of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department...

Read More
Event

19th Annual Renewable Energy Law Institute

Dirk Mueller is speaking at the University of Texas School of Law 19 th Annual Renewable Energy Law Institute on "Mineral Issues Impact on Real Estate Documents, Siting and Planning: Texas vs. California." Session Overview :   Understanding...

Read More
News

Proposal for Bar Exam Alternative Goes to California Supreme Court

Sarah Good, a member of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees, was quoted in The Recorder article, "Proposal for Bar Exam Alternative Goes to California Supreme Court." Read the article here (subscription...

Read More
News

State Bar of California Board of Trustees Approves Plan to Pilot Portfolio Bar Exam

Sarah Good, a member of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees, spoke to KQED Newscast about the Board of Trustees's proposal to pilot a Portfolio Bar Exam.

Read More