Historic Cases

Since 1966, CCR has pioneered daring and innovative legal strategies in pursuit of its mission to advance and protect the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Our work began on behalf of civil rights activists, and since then CCR has lent its expertise and support to virtually every popular progressive movement.

Many of the Center’s historic victories have established major legal precedents – from Filártiga v. Peña-Irala, which opened U.S. courts for victims of serious human rights violations from anywhere in the world to Rasul v. Bush, which established the right of Guantánamo detainees to challenge their detention.

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (amicus)

Hamdan filed his petition for habeas corpus, claiming that the military commission lacked authority to try him since there was no congressional act that authorized them. Further, Hamdan’s...

Updated: January 17, 2013

Argueta, et al. v. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, et al.

A federal lawsuit filed by nine men, women and children to challenge ICE's policy of warrantless and discriminatory home raids throughout New Jersey. Plaintiffs seek damages as well as an injunction...

Updated: December 17, 2012

Daniels, et al. v. the City of New York

A class action lawsuit to challenge the NYPD’s policy of conducting stop-and-frisks without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity as required by the Fourth Amendment. Additionally, the...

Updated: October 1, 2012

Mehinovic v. Vuckovic

Plaintiffs charged Nikola Vuckovic with war crimes; crimes against humanity; and torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) and the Alien Tort...

Updated: September 27, 2012

Complaint to the Department of Homeland Security Regarding Port Isabel Detention Center

On April 9, 2010, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a civil complaint with the Department of Homeland Security regarding the mistreatment of detainees at the Port Isabel Detention...

Updated: September 18, 2012

Harrington v. MTA

Harrington v. MTA is a civil suit filed on behalf of Kevin Harrington, a Sikh subway motorman who, following the September 11 attacks, was ordered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York to...

Updated: June 4, 2012

Haiti: IACHR - Haitian Removals

Deportations from the U.S. to Haiti had been stayed on humanitarian grounds since the January 12, 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti. Advocates and community members were shocked when, on December 9,...

Updated: November 1, 2011

Goodman, et al. v. St. Paul, et al.

A lawsuit brought on behalf of three journalists against the City of St. Paul, the City of Minneapolis, Ramsey County, and multiple law enforcement officers to challenge the targeting by law...

Updated: October 7, 2011

Kunstler v. City of New York

Kunstler v. City of New York was a multi-plaintiff federal lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) against the New York Police Department (NYPD) on behalf of protesters who were...

Updated: August 26, 2011

Rasul v. Rumsfeld

A case brought by four former Guantanamo prisoners against former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld seeking damages for their arbitrary detention and torture.

Updated: July 11, 2011

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