Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Ziglar v. Abbasi Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States2017Docket #6080414
2017 U.S. LEXIS 3874 137 S. Ct. 1843 198 L. Ed. 2d 290 26 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 655 85 U.S.L.W. 4360 2017 WL 2621317

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: Post-9/11 detainees sued high-level federal officials for unconstitutional confinement. The Supreme Court refused to extend the Bivens damages remedy to this new context, citing separation of powers and national security concerns, and held the officials had qualified immunity on a related conspiracy claim.

Legal Significance: The case significantly curtails the availability of Bivens remedies, establishing a stringent test for extending them to new contexts and signaling extreme judicial reluctance to create damages actions against federal officials, especially concerning national security policy, thereby deferring to congressional authority.

Ziglar v. Abbasi Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the federal government detained hundreds of illegal aliens deemed “of interest” to its investigation. Respondents, six men of Arab or South Asian descent, were held for three to eight months in a maximum-security unit under harsh conditions, including 23-hour-a-day confinement, constant illumination, and frequent strip searches. They alleged these conditions were punitive and discriminatory, as officials knew they had no connection to terrorism. Respondents filed suit seeking money damages from high-level executive officials (including the Attorney General and FBI Director) and the prison wardens. The claims were brought under the implied cause of action recognized in Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents for alleged violations of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, and under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3) for conspiracy to deprive them of equal protection. The central Bivens claims challenged the official “hold-until-cleared” detention policy formulated and implemented by the executive officials.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Should the judicially created damages remedy from Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents be extended to permit suits against high-level executive officials for constitutional violations arising from a national security detention policy enacted after a major terrorist attack?

No. A Bivens remedy is not available for claims challenging the high-level Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non

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Legal Issue

Should the judicially created damages remedy from Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents be extended to permit suits against high-level executive officials for constitutional violations arising from a national security detention policy enacted after a major terrorist attack?

Conclusion

*Ziglar* severely restricts the *Bivens* doctrine by creating a strong presumption against Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamc

Legal Rule

A court may not imply a damages remedy under *Bivens* if the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusm

Legal Analysis

The Court's analysis centered on separation-of-powers principles and its modern reluctance to Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dol

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  • The Supreme Court refused to extend a Bivens damages remedy to
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolo

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