A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop immigration arrests based on race, ethnicity, or occupation in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The court also ruled that immigration authorities must allow attorney access at a detention facility in downtown LA, according to a report by AP.
The temporary injunction, issued by US District Judge Maame E. Frimpong on Friday, follows a lawsuit by immigrant advocacy groups. The suit alleges that federal agents unlawfully targeted Latino communities through warrantless arrests and denied legal access to detainees.
“There is a mountain of evidence that the federal government committed the violations alleged,” the judge stated in her order, calling the enforcement actions unconstitutional under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
The court's decision comes amid growing concerns over recent immigration operations across Southern California. These include raids at car washes, parking lots, cannabis farms, and swap meets where individuals were reportedly detained based on appearance and language.
The order also affects Ventura County, where agents detained farm workers during an ongoing court hearing, leading to protests and injuries.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents several plaintiffs in the case, claimed that agents arrested people simply for “looking Hispanic” or for speaking Spanish. The plaintiffs include three detained immigrants and two US citizens. One US citizen said he was held even after presenting valid identification.
Government attorney Sean Skedzielewski denied any racial profiling, saying agents acted based on a “totality of the circumstances,” which sometimes included appearance but also considered prior surveillance and intelligence.
A separate part of the ruling requires US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to grant lawyers seven-day access to the downtown LA facility known as “B-18.” It also mandates confidential phone access for detainees and improved facility conditions. Advocacy groups said lawyers were previously denied entry even on days without protests and that detainees lacked access to food, beds, and basic communication.
Attorney Mark Rosenbaum described a June 7 incident in which “government drivers honked their horns to drown out attorneys” trying to inform detainees of their rights, and claimed tear gas-like munitions were used.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, strongly rejected the allegations. “Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE,” she said. She added that the judge's ruling was “undermining the will of the American people.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson also criticized the court, stating, “No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy, that authority rests with Congress and the President. We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal.”
Attorneys general from 18 Democratic states filed briefs supporting the judge’s decision.
The case will now proceed in court as the emergency orders remain in place.
(With inputs from AP)
The temporary injunction, issued by US District Judge Maame E. Frimpong on Friday, follows a lawsuit by immigrant advocacy groups. The suit alleges that federal agents unlawfully targeted Latino communities through warrantless arrests and denied legal access to detainees.
“There is a mountain of evidence that the federal government committed the violations alleged,” the judge stated in her order, calling the enforcement actions unconstitutional under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
The court's decision comes amid growing concerns over recent immigration operations across Southern California. These include raids at car washes, parking lots, cannabis farms, and swap meets where individuals were reportedly detained based on appearance and language.
The order also affects Ventura County, where agents detained farm workers during an ongoing court hearing, leading to protests and injuries.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents several plaintiffs in the case, claimed that agents arrested people simply for “looking Hispanic” or for speaking Spanish. The plaintiffs include three detained immigrants and two US citizens. One US citizen said he was held even after presenting valid identification.
Government attorney Sean Skedzielewski denied any racial profiling, saying agents acted based on a “totality of the circumstances,” which sometimes included appearance but also considered prior surveillance and intelligence.
A separate part of the ruling requires US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to grant lawyers seven-day access to the downtown LA facility known as “B-18.” It also mandates confidential phone access for detainees and improved facility conditions. Advocacy groups said lawyers were previously denied entry even on days without protests and that detainees lacked access to food, beds, and basic communication.
Attorney Mark Rosenbaum described a June 7 incident in which “government drivers honked their horns to drown out attorneys” trying to inform detainees of their rights, and claimed tear gas-like munitions were used.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, strongly rejected the allegations. “Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE,” she said. She added that the judge's ruling was “undermining the will of the American people.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson also criticized the court, stating, “No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy, that authority rests with Congress and the President. We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal.”
Attorneys general from 18 Democratic states filed briefs supporting the judge’s decision.
The case will now proceed in court as the emergency orders remain in place.
(With inputs from AP)
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