ACLU-WV issued the following statement concerning today's decision in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia:
We’re pleased the Court agrees that the amount of notice given to the encampment residents to vacate their homes—72 hours—was woefully insufficient and does not meet the standards required by the Constitution. The decision today means that the City must now provide a minimum of two weeks notice to residents before dismantling an encampment. We appreciate the court requiring better notice from the City and affirming the rights of some of our state’s most vulnerable residents. We now hope the city will step back now and reconsider moving forward and displacing these community members. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and to move these residents from their homes without access to safe and adequate housing is in contravention to CDC guidelines and creates a significant public health risk.