The Advocates for Human Rights honored Fredrikson with a Pro Bono Litigation Counsel Award at the 2026 Human Rights Awards Dinner June 11. The award is in recognition of the firm's contributions in representing the organization in The Advocates for Human Rights et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
In the class-action lawsuit, which was filed amid Operation Metro Surge, the court found that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied people detained at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building meaningful access to lawyers in violation of rights protected by the United States Constitution. The court issued a temporary restraining order requiring that the government allow detainees confidential attorney-client visits and private phone calls with counsel. The court also ruled that the government could not transfer detainees out of Minnesota during the first 72 hours of their detention. Litigation is ongoing.
“The right to counsel is not optional, it’s constitutional. When the government systematically blocks people from speaking privately with their attorneys and rushes them out of state before they can mount a defense, it violates the very foundation of due process,” said Alethea M. Huyser, who led Fredrikson's legal team on the matter. “This was a critical victory not just for our clients, but for justice itself.”
“We are excited to recognize Fredrikson’s contributions to the organization in representing us in The Advocates for Human Rights et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security et al. lawsuit to defend access to counsel, due process, and the rule of law,” said The Advocates for Human Rights Pro Bono Director Theresa Dykoschak. “We greatly appreciate the firm’s dedication to The Advocates, our clients, our partners, and the greater community, and its contributions to the human rights movement.”
Huyser was joined by Fredrikson attorneys Rachel L. Dougherty, Devin T. Driscoll, Sarah Theisen and Margaret G. Severson. Attorneys from Democracy Forward also represented The Advocates for Human Rights in the case.
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