US judge stops deportation of 1,400 Iraqis

DETROIT— A federal judge in Michigan halted on Monday the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals from the United States. US District Judge Mark Goldsmith granted a preliminary injunction requested by American Civil Liberties Union lawyers, who argued the immigrants would face persecution in Iraq because they were considered ethnic and religious minorities there. Goldsmith said the injunction provided detainees time to challenge their removal in federal courts. He said many of them faced “a feverish search for legal assistance” after their deportation orders were unexpectedly resurrected by the US government after several years.—