LOS ANGELES — A federal judge has instructed the Trump administration to halt the arrest and targeting of indiscriminate immigrants across seven counties in California, including Los Angeles.
Recently, groups advocating for immigrant rights accused President Trump of systematically focusing on individuals with darker skin tones during the ongoing immigration crackdown in Southern California. The parties involved in the lawsuit consist of three detained immigrants and two U.S. citizens.
The filing with the US District Court urged judges to prevent the administration from using what they described as unconstitutional methods during immigration actions. Advocates allege that immigration officials are detaining individuals based on their race, making arrests without warrants, and denying access to legal counsel at a facility in downtown Los Angeles.
“The idea that individuals are targeted by law enforcement due to their skin color is not only wrong but also repugnant,” said Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in an email.
McLaughlin insisted that the operations conducted by immigration agents are highly targeted and that officers carry out their responsibilities with due diligence.
Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued an additional order preventing the federal government from limiting access to lawyers in immigration detention centers in Los Angeles.
This ruling came a day after a hearing where advocacy groups claimed the government’s practices violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution.
For weeks now, migrants and Latino communities in Southern California have felt a significant impact since the Trump administration intensified arrests at various locations, including car washes and Home Depot parking lots, as well as immigration courts. Tens of thousands have participated in local rallies protesting the crackdown and the deployment of the National Guard and Marines.
The order also extends to Ventura County. Many workers were detained there recently, following federal agents’ actions at a cannabis farm, which led to clashes and reports of injuries among protesters.
The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that this surge in immigration enforcement is driven by an “arbitrary arrest quota” and relies on various racial and ethnic stereotypes.
The plaintiffs, who are among the detained workers, were all Latino and dressed in construction work attire, as noted in the lawsuit. Witnesses reported that federal agents arrested individuals who “appeared Hispanic” at locations like Swap Meets and Home Depots.
ACLU lawyer Mohammad Tajsar highlighted that Brian Gavidia, a detained U.S. citizen, was “physically assaulted… for non-Latin American reasons, primarily working in towing yards in her neighborhoods.”
Tajsar questioned the rationale behind detaining nearly all of the Latino workers while only two white individuals were spared, raising suspicions about the role of race in these actions.
On behalf of the government, attorney Sean Skedzielewski denied any claims that race played a part in the arrests, stating that decisions were based on its overall assessment of the situation, including prior surveillance.
He mentioned that in some cases, they used “targeted, individualized packages.”
“The Department of Homeland Security has established policies and training to ensure compliance with the Fourth Amendment,” Skedzielewski claimed.
Court documents indicated that attorneys for the Immigration Defender Law Center and other organizations reported a lack of access to immigration and customs enforcement facilities in downtown LA, referred to as “B-18.”
Lawyer Mark Rosenbaum recounted an incident on June 7 when they tried to advocate for fundamental rights on a bus transporting detainees. Government drivers sounded their horns, and tear gas-like chemical agents were reportedly used.
Skedzielewski clarified that access was restricted only during violent protests for the safety of employees and detainees, but has since been restored.
However, Rosenbaum contended that lawyers were still denied access even on quieter days, and detainees were not adequately informed about phone access or the availability of legal assistance.
He also noted that the facility lacked proper food and bedding and that detainees were pressured to sign agreements to leave the country before consulting an attorney.
Additionally, the Democratic State Attorney General filed a brief supporting the recent order.
An earlier federal judge had already issued an injunction in April, preventing customs and border security agents from making warrantless arrests in large areas of eastern California.
