The Clinic, on behalf of its client Advance Publications, Inc., publisher of the community newspaper The Post-Standard and its website Syracuse.com, asked a federal court to unseal critical judicial documents in a case involving the arrest of Marvin Aguilar-Garcia by U.S. Border Patrol agents for allegedly assaulting a federal agent.

The letter motion, filed in the Northern District of New York on July 29, 2026, seeks case records that would shed light on the reason the U.S. Attorney sought to dismiss the case against Aguilar-Garcia, who was alleged to have assaulted a federal agent with an automobile owner’s manual.

The motion argues that any reasons behind the United States Attorney’s request to dismiss this case against Aguilar-Garcia, set forth in a letter to the court explaining the dismissal, and the court’s decision to do so days before a jury was to be selected, are matters of legitimate public concern. The press’s ability to keep the public informed is stymied without open access to the court system.

The court requested a response from the Department of Justice by August 27.

For further background and coverage of the case, see:

Was justice done in immigrant’s case? Let the public see the whole court record (Editorial Board Opinion) - syracuse.com