Sterne Kessler Secures Court-Ordered Release and Family Reunification in Pro Bono Immigration Case

Washington, D.C. (October 26, 2026) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox recently secured a significant victory in a pro bono immigration case. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and ordered the immediate release from government custody of a Honduran child from the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) custody, reuniting the child with his family.

The child was being held unlawfully by the ORR, facing transfer to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and likely deportation. On October 2, 2026, Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake found that the child’s prolonged detention violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and ORR’s own policies. The child was released from custody on October 4 and reunited with his family.

The Sterne Kessler team was led by Directors Richard Crudo, Lauren Watt, J.C. Rozendaal, and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono committee, Salvador Bezos; Associates Paige Cloud and Hadia Ahsan; and Paralegals Michael Baca, Rien Groskopf, and Namhyun Kearns.

Sterne Kessler has maintained a strong commitment to pro bono immigration service, assisting clients fleeing violence in their home countries and supporting unaccompanied minors in their efforts to reunite with their families in the United States.

About Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Based in Washington, D.C., Sterne Kessler is a leading intellectual property law firm providing strategic IP services to clients worldwide. With more than 170 attorneys, the firm offers integrated capabilities across patent and trademark prosecution, strategic counseling, post grant proceedings, and litigation before federal district and appellate courts and the International Trade Commission. Since 1978, Sterne Kessler has served as a trusted partner to innovative companies, startups, inventors, universities, and investors, helping them protect, enforce, and maximize the value of intellectual property. The firm is committed to delivering practical, business driven solutions that support innovation and long term strategic objectives.