A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop carrying out broad and indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups, which accused the administration of unlawfully targeting Latino individuals across Southern California. The plaintiffs include three undocumented workers and two U.S. citizens—one of whom was detained despite showing valid identification.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks to stop what advocates call unconstitutional enforcement methods, including racially motivated arrests without warrants and denial of legal counsel to detainees held at a detention facility in downtown Los Angeles.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, rejected the allegations, calling them “disgusting and categorically FALSE.” She maintained that enforcement operations are precise and based on thorough investigation.
Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued temporary emergency orders to block these practices while the case proceeds. One of her rulings also prohibits federal authorities from limiting attorney access to the downtown LA immigration facility.
In her decision, Frimpong cited a “mountain of evidence” suggesting that immigration agents were indeed violating constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
The ruling follows weeks of heightened anxiety in Latino communities across Southern California, where increased immigration enforcement has targeted car washes, Home Depot parking lots, swap meets, and businesses. The raids sparked widespread protests and led to the deployment of the National Guard and Marines.
One of the counties included in the ruling, Ventura, saw immigration agents raid a cannabis farm and detain dozens just as the court hearing was underway, leading to clashes and injuries.
The ACLU, which helped bring the case, argued that agents are working under an arbitrary arrest quota and are relying on racial and ethnic stereotypes.
The suit described how agents detained the three plaintiffs, who were Latino day laborers in construction gear, without any other identifying information. Witnesses also described agents targeting people who “looked Hispanic” at public locations.
ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar cited the case of Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen who was allegedly assaulted and detained solely because he was Latino and working in a predominantly Hispanic area. Tajsar questioned why, during one car wash raid, only white workers were spared if race wasn’t a factor.
Government lawyer Sean Skedzielewski countered that race was not used to make arrests. He said agents consider many factors — including past surveillance — and sometimes use detailed, individualized files.
He added that Homeland Security has policies to ensure agents follow the Fourth Amendment.
Order Ensures Legal Access and Limits Racial Profiling
The judge also ruled that the downtown LA facility, known as “B-18,” must allow attorney visits seven days a week and ensure detainees have access to private phone calls with lawyers.
Lawyers had previously reported being blocked from the facility. One attorney described an incident in which they tried to shout legal advice to detainees from a bus, but government drivers honked horns to drown them out and deployed tear gas-like chemicals.
Skedzielewski said access was limited during violent protests for safety reasons but has since been restored. However, attorney Mark Rosenbaum said access was also denied on calm days, and detainees were not told they could speak to a lawyer. He also noted that poor conditions at the facility pressured detainees to agree to deportation without legal consultation.
The judge’s order prevents authorities from using race, language, location, or job type as grounds for suspicion during immigration enforcement.
Attorneys general from 18 Democratic-led states supported the court's ruling.
A separate federal injunction in April already barred warrantless immigration arrests in parts of eastern California.