A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately stop a series of immigration raids across Southern California, ruling that federal agents have been making arrests without proper legal justification and violating constitutional protections.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued two temporary restraining orders Thursday after finding “a mountain of evidence” that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol, and other federal agents were arresting people based on race, appearance, and occupation rather than reasonable suspicion of illegal status.
“The seizures at issue occurred unlawfully,” Frimpong wrote in the ruling.
The court’s orders bar immigration agents from detaining individuals without reasonable suspicion of their immigration status and require that those arrested be granted immediate access to legal counsel. The orders apply to Los Angeles and six surrounding counties and will remain in effect as a broader class-action lawsuit proceeds.
The decision follows a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Counsel, and other legal advocacy organizations. Attorneys argued that since early June, federal agents have been conducting “roving patrols,” sweeping up Latino individuals at car washes, bus stops, and construction sites without warrants or cause.
“It’s an extraordinary victory,” said Mark Rosenbaum, senior counsel at Public Counsel. “This ruling repudiates racial profiling and restores constitutional protections for thousands of people across Southern California.”
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, denounced the ruling.
“A district judge is undermining the will of the American people,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “Our agents are targeting murderers, gang members, and violent criminals. Law and order will prevail.”
But civil rights attorneys argue the raids have ensnared U.S. citizens and legal residents as well. Pedro Vasquez Perdomo, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said he was handcuffed and arrested by masked agents at a bus stop on June 18 while waiting for a ride to a construction job.
“I think that I was arrested that day at the bus stop because of how I look,” Vasquez Perdomo said in a sworn declaration. “We all look Hispanic and were wearing construction work clothes.”
Vasquez said agents never asked for identification before arresting him. He spent three weeks in detention and now faces deportation.
At a hearing Thursday, ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar presented video footage, sworn declarations, and media reports that he said show agents conducting arbitrary stops based on appearance alone. “They’re engaging in roving patrols in which they’re stopping people first and asking questions later,” Tajsar told the court.
Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski defended the government’s actions, arguing that agents assess “the totality of circumstances” when making stops, which may include appearance, location, or behavior.
“There’s no documented evidence of agents deciding to ignore the law or just pick people up because of race,” Skedzielewski said.
But Judge Frimpong expressed doubt. “What they are considering should be things that give them reasonable suspicion,” she said. “I’m not seeing that.”
Other plaintiffs, including U.S. citizens, described similar experiences in sworn statements, alleging that agents detained them without questioning or cause. The lawsuit accuses federal agencies of violating the Fourth Amendment and engaging in systemic racial profiling.
It remains unclear whether the government will alter its enforcement strategy in response to the court’s order. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have vowed to monitor compliance and return to court if necessary.
“We will not let constitutional rights be trampled in the name of immigration enforcement,” Tajsar said.
