Taking Children from Their Parents Without a Court Order

20 hours ago

NYC's Administration for Children's Services (A.C.S.) frequently bypasses judicial vetting for child removals, taking kids without court orders despite legal requirements and judicial pushback in many cases.
Emergency removals are highly traumatizing, causing PTSD in children, with around 90% of removed children being Black or Latino, highlighting racial disparities.
A landmark class-action lawsuit alleges A.C.S. violates Fourth Amendment rights through unreasonable seizures and Fourteenth Amendment equal-protection via racial discrimination in removals.
Plaintiff Denise Archer had her three children removed twice based on misunderstandings, leading to almost three years in foster care with severe emotional and psychological impacts on the family.
Plaintiff Danielle Lorimer experienced repeated A.C.S. removals, including from a shelter, causing family separation trauma and lasting changes in her children's behavior and security.
A.C.S. often conducts searches without warrants, leveraging fear and lack of parental awareness, with a prior lawsuit accusing the agency of unreasonable home inspections.
Public pressure and fear of blame drive A.C.S.'s 'better safe than sorry' approach, prioritizing removals over family preservation, despite evidence of harm from separations.
The lawsuit aims to shift public perception and A.C.S. practices, emphasizing the need for genuine emergencies for removals and reducing unwarranted interventions.

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