Judge Temporarily Blocks Sweeping ICE Raids in LA

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from conducting immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles.

Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued the ruling on Friday, blocking raids in seven California counties, including Los Angeles County.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit last week, accusing immigration officials of using unconstitutional tactics in raids across the region, like racial profiling, excessive force, and denying detainees access to legal counsel.

According to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the decision includes two temporary restraining orders. The first keeps immigration officers from stopping people without reasonable suspicion, or stopping people over their apparent race, whether they speak Spanish, where they work and more.

The second requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide detainees at the federal building in downtown Los Angeles access to legal representation.

The ruling, however, does not stop all immigration raids in the region.

"This is about how, not whether to enforce federal immigration law," said Jessica Levinson, law professor at Loyola Marymount University. "This is not a judge saying there's a temporary restraining order on enforcing federal immigration law. There's a temporary restraining order on how ICE agents are enforcing that law, and specifically what they can and can't do."

"No matter the color of their skin, what language they speak, or where they work, everyone is guaranteed constitutional rights to protect them from unlawful stops," said Mohammad Tajsar, attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, in response to Friday's ruling. "While it does not take a federal judge to recognize that marauding bands of masked, rifle-toting goons have been violating ordinary people’s rights throughout Southern California, we are hopeful that today’s ruling will be a step toward accountability for the federal government’s flagrant lawlessness that we have all been witnessing."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also praised the ruling, calling it "an important step toward restoring safety, security and defending the rights of all Angelenos," calling the raids an "assault by the Trump administration."

Gov. Gavin Newsom also released a statement saying, "Justice prevailed today — the court’s decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people’s rights and racial profiling. Stephen Miller’s immigration agenda is one of chaos, cruelty and fear. Instead of targeting the most dangerous people, federal officials have been arbitrarily detaining Americans and hardworking people, ripping families apart, and disappearing people into cruel detention to meet outrageous arrest quotas without regard to due process and constitutional rights that protect all of us from cruelty and injustice. That should stop now. California stands with the law, and the foundation upon which our founding fathers built this country. I call on the Trump administration to do the same."

In an email to the Associated Press, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that "any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted' by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE," adding that "enforcement operations are highly targeted, and officers do their due diligence" before making arrests."

Her full statement read, "A district judge is undermining the will of the American people. America’s brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists—truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. Law and order will prevail."

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli issued a statement on social media saying he strongly disagrees with Judge Frimpong's ruling, saying that "our agents have never detained individuals without proper legal justification. Our federal agents will continue to enforce the law."

Immigration raids have been increasing consistently across Southern California for more than a month now, with officers regularly raiding car washes, Home Depot parking lots and more.

Earlier this week, a swarm of immigration officers descended on MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles for an immigration operation, shutting down a children's camp in the process. No one was arrested in that case.

Judge Frimpong's ruling also included Ventura County, where Thursday, immigration agents carried out massive raids at two legal marijuana farms, detaining more than 200 suspected illegal immigrants.

According to the AP, Border Patrol agents are already kept from arresting people without warrants in a large part of eastern California, after another federal judge issued a preliminary injunction back in April.

This case will now head to a hearing to determine whether a preliminary injunction will be given. From their, either side may appeal the decision.