[Jan 24, 2022] Immigrant Rights Activist Jean Montrevil’s Case to Be Reopened for a New Hearing
For immediate release
January 24, 2022
Contact:
Jani Cauthen, Families for Freedom, janay@familiesforfreedom.org
Craig Kuehl, Judson Memorial Church, (202) 621-3633; (212) 677-2678
Aidan Langston, NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic, (347) 581-2834; aidan.langston@law.nyu.edu
Sarah Butterfield, NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic, (203) 685-7228; sarah.butterfield@law.nyu.edu
Immigrant Rights Activist Jean Montrevil’s Case to Be Reopened for a New Hearing
Community’s campaign to #KeepJeanHome is one major step closer to success!
New York, NY – Jean Montrevil, a prominent immigrant rights activist who was reunited with his family and community in New York City in October 2021, more than three years after his sudden deportation to Haiti, is set to receive a new hearing in immigration court. On January 12, 2022, an Immigration Judge of the Immigration Court in Arlington, Virginia, issued an order to that effect, after Mr. Montrevil’s counsel and the Department of Homeland Security together moved to reopen the case. As a result of this new development, Mr. Montrevil has regained his status as a lawful permanent resident and can now pursue relief from deportation that would allow him to remain in the United States with his family on a permanent basis. Mr. Montrevil is also now one step closer to eventually becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.
“What amazing news. This is music to my ears. We worked so hard for this result, now nothing is going to take away our joy. We'll keep proceeding to our goal; we are almost there. What a day this will be, when we have a complete victory—a green card. And thank you so much for all the love I have received, it means a lot to me. I am truly blessed. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in this fight - from Judson, Families for Freedom and beyond.” — Jean Montrevil
The order reopening Mr. Montrevil’s immigration case is the latest in a string of wins for him and his community of supporters. Last August, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pardoned the convictions from more than thirty years ago that were the basis of Mr. Montrevil’s deportation order. Then, on October 18, 2021, Mr. Montrevil returned to New York, having received temporary special-interest parole that permitted him to enter the United States and reunite with his family. More recently, on December 14, a federal court approved an agreement settling Mr. Montrevil’s lawsuit against the federal government, which alleged that the Trump administration
deported him in retaliation against his First Amendment-protected speech and in violation of his due process rights. Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Montrevil was granted deferred action, allowing him to remain in the country without fear of deportation for at least three years.
“My faith has been restored in the ‘immigration system.’ This has been a dream come true for our family. Jean is finally receiving a second chance at life in America with his family. This has saved his life.” — Jani Cauthen, Mr. Montrevil’s ex-wife, the mother of his children, and Acting Executive Director of Families for Freedom
With his case now reopened, Mr. Montrevil’s case will now ultimately be heard before an Immigration Judge, where he will have the opportunity to show that he should be granted permanent relief from deportation. In the meantime, Mr. Montrevil has regained the status of a lawful permanent resident, and is not at immediate risk of being deported from the United States again. Mr. Montrevil and his supporters are grateful to everyone involved in making this possible and continue to urge the administration to keep families together and to stop deportations of immigrants to Haiti.
“I'm happy that my family is moving forward with our lives stronger and happier, we are able to grow and celebrate milestones together.” — Janiah Heard, Mr. Montrevil’s daughter
Before his deportation in 2018, Mr. Montrevil had lived in the United States for more than thirty years, after arriving from Haiti as a lawful permanent resident at age seventeen. He raised four U.S.-citizen children and managed two small businesses. With his firsthand knowledge of a deeply unfair and inhumane U.S. immigration system, Mr. Montrevil decided to speak up, becoming an outspoken voice in the immigrant rights movement in New York City and beyond.
He joined the New York-based organization Families for Freedom and was a co-founder of New York’s New Sanctuary Coalition and the nationwide New Sanctuary Movement. Working with these organizations and others, as well as his church congregation at Manhattan’s Judson Memorial Church, Mr. Montrevil came to be a well-known leader in the fight for justice for immigrants across the country.
“While we celebrate Jean’s regaining his status, and even though we rejoice in his return to his family and community, we also point out that this is another example of “justice delayed = justice denied.” Jean will never recover the more than 25 years he spent fighting for his righteous cause, years he could have spent growing his business and dedicating more time to his family.”
— Craig Kuehl, U.S. Consul General (retired) and member of Judson Memorial Church
In 2018, under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mr. Montrevil at his home, without warning, in order to deport him to Haiti on the basis of a decades-old conviction from Virginia. ICE detained Mr. Montrevil and rapidly deported him to Haiti, despite an outcry from his family, immigrant rights organizations, and a number of elected officials. Mr. Montrevil then lived in Haiti for more than three years, forcibly separated from his children and community in New York, while conditions in Haiti continued to deteriorate, including a major uptick in violence last year, following the assassination of the country’s president and a major earthquake.
“This was a victory thirty years in the making. We continue to be inspired by Jean's resilience and are thrilled that he is one step closer to justice.”
— Alina Das, Co-Director of the NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic, and one of Mr. Montrevil’s attorneys
“Jean’s strength and perseverance in the face of injustice are an inspiration to us all. We are so proud to have been by his side as he fought for this moment. We cannot wait until justice is finally done and Jean can go back to living his life, together with his family, without the fear of deportation.” — Sarah Butterfield and Aidan Langston, Student Advocates in the NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic and members of Mr. Montrevil’s legal team
Mr. Montrevil is represented by the NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic and WilmerHale. Throughout his fight to return and to remain in New York with his family, Mr. Montrevil has had the support of immigrant rights organizations, clergy, and elected officials, including his representatives in Congress, Representative Gregory Meeks and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
His supporters have also included Representatives Jerry Nadler, Nydia Velázquez, Brian Higgins, Yvette Clarke, Kathleen Rice, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Ritchie Torres; New York State Senator Brad Hoylman; former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer; Raquel Batista, outgoing Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; and New York City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca.
For more information about Mr. Montrevil’s case, as well as how to support his efforts, visit:
