Libre by Nexus Enters Settlement Agreement with Washington State, Ends Investigation Without Charges

VERONA, Va., Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Libre by Nexus, which has secured bond payments for thousands of immigrants held in detention, is pleased to have reached a settlement with the Washington state Attorney General that ends a lengthy investigation and protects client information from potential misuse.

The probe was closed without any finding that Libre by Nexus violated any state regulations. Libre by Nexus was also able to reach the settlement with Attorney General Bob Ferguson and his staff without having to turn over the names of the company's clients to federal authorities.

"We think it's especially important to point out that this matter would not have been resolved but for the state's willingness to protect the private and confidential information of our clients so they would be protected from unfair and potentially unconstitutional abuses," said Mike Donovan, co-founder and chief executive of Libre by Nexus. "Attorney General Ferguson is a real leader on immigrant privacy issues and is a shining light of what government can do to protect vulnerable people in a particularly dark time in our nation's history related to immigration."

Donovan added that Libre by Nexus will continue to provide unfettered and critical support to thousands of more immigrants held in horrendous privately-operated detention centers across the country and help them be reunited with their families.

Libre by Nexus has requested the same client protections while trying to resolve similar investigations in Virginia and New York – but have not been able to secure such commitments from both state attorneys general.

"The inquiries in Virginia and New York have been delayed for more than a year as we diligently redacted clients' names from paperwork before turning over documents," Donovan said. "We encourage those states to stop wasting taxpayer money since Washington, the nation's leader in consumer protection, has spoken."

Under the terms of the Washington state settlement, Libre by Nexus will refund $420 to 140 clients living in Washington state and waive $2.7 million in past due program fees. Libre by Nexus, which has already begun providing an all-Spanish language contract to its clients, promised to send copies of that current version to clients who had been given a contract in English and Spanish and to honor the terms of its new contract for all clients.

Donovan points out that Libre by Nexus has now been cleared in multiple investigations from several different agencies, including a 2016 inquiry led by the Obama Administration's Director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. "We are happy to be focusing our energies on freeing the oppressed and fighting to protect the civil rights of all people."

Libre by Nexus is a leading provider of comprehensive and life sustaining services to detained immigrants and their families. The organization funds free legal services through Nexus Derechos Humanos Attorneys, Inc., and the Caridades Immigrant Legal Defense Project, as a part of its corporate giving to increase access to justice for disadvantaged people across the United States. http://www.nexushelps.com/ 

SOURCE Nexus Services