A federal judge in New York is scolding the US government for failing to give a civil rights group documents about thousands of immigrant detainees held for months or years.
Judge Richard Berman's ruling today came after government attorneys insisted they need more time to reveal information.
The American Civil Liberties Union says it wants to expose a flawed system that keeps thousands of detainees behind bars for long periods while their eligibility to remain in the country is decided.
Berman said he hopes the government is not "trying to hide or obscure a distressing system or set of facts."
The ACLU sued in 2011. The group is seeking documents from the US Department of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
