Judge Temporarily Blocks Immigration Raids in Several California Counties

Federal District Court Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued two temporary restraining orders to temporarily halt federal immigration raids in Los Angeles and several California counties.

Her orders bar immigration agents from stopping people unless they have reasonable suspicion. She also requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide access to legal counsel for people detained in the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. Although she detailed poor conditions and lack of food for detainees, her orders did not address those aspects of ICE actions.

In part, her orders said:

As required by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, Defendants shall be enjoined from conducting detentive stops in this District unless the agent or officer has reasonable suspicion that the person to be stopped is within the United States in violation of U.S. immigration law.

[…. Federal agents] may not rely solely on the factors below, alone or in combination, to form reasonable suspicion for a detentive stop, except as permitted by law:

i. Apparent race or ethnicity;

ii. Speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent;

iii. Presence at a particular location (e.g. bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, etc.); or

iv. The type of work one does.

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