New York State Attorney General Letitia James joined Attorney Generals from Massachusetts, Virginia and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in filing a civil suit Monday alleging Libre by Nexus, a Virginia-based immigration services company, of preying upon undocumented immigrants detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) detention centers.
The suit alleges Libre of offering to pay for the release of detainees while concealing the true costs of its services and keeping tabs on the people they bond by strapping an ankle monitor to them.
James said Libre misrepresented themselves as working with I.C.E. and other government agencies and threatening arrests or deportations if its fees are not collected.
“Libre deceives immigrants by leaving the impression that removing or damaging these tracking devices would result in a felony criminal prosecution,” she said. “To be clear: Libre never had this authority, and still does not have this authority today.”
The suit has been filed in the Western District of Virginia and James says they are seeking damages and restitution “in the millions” for individuals and families who claim to have been wronged by Libre. The full suit can be found here.
