In a decision that sets an important precedent for the civil rights of the immigrant community in the U.S., U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong of the Central District of California on Friday ordered a halt to immigration raids based on racial profiling in Southern California, specifically in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The decision is in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) and other organizations on behalf of several migrant workers and residents detained in recent raids. The lawsuit alleges that federal agents violated multiple constitutional protections by detaining people solely for speaking Spanish, having a certain skin color, or being in certain workplaces such as agricultural fields, car washes, or bus stations.
Two key orders against the Trump Administration
“Regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak or where they work, everyone is guaranteed constitutional rights that protect them from unlawful detention,” said Mohammad Tajsar, senior counsel for ACLU SoCal, after the ruling was announced.
In her ruling, Judge Frimpong issued two temporary orders to be complied with immediately:
Prohibition on racial profiling: ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents may not detain individuals without specific reasonable suspicion.
In addition, it is expressly prohibited to use criteria such as race, language, accent, type of work or mere presence in certain places as justification for detention.
Access to legal counsel: The ruling also requires DHS to allow access to attorneys every day, including weekends and holidays, for migrants detained in the B-18 federal building in downtown Los Angeles, which operates as an immigration processing center.
Trigger: viral raid and abuse allegations
The case stemmed from a June 22 raid when several workers were detained by masked men wearing vests with Border Patrol insignia at a packing house in San Bernardino County.
Videos recorded by witnesses showed excessive use of force and detentions without clear explanation, which sparked outrage on social networks and mobilized human rights groups.
One of the people in charge of the site, identified as Enmanuel, denounced that the agents entered restricted areas without warrants and made violent arrests without legal justification.
Since then, relatives of several detainees have reported incommunicado detention and lack of information on the whereabouts of their loved ones, many of whom remain in federal facilities.
DHS denies allegations
L.A. has been under assault as masked men snatch people off the street and chase people through parking lots and summer camps.
But today, the Court ruled in favor of the United States Constitution.
This is a win for Los Angeles and it is a win for cities all across the nation. pic.twitter.com/MrCkwQFb13
– Major Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 12, 2025
Buzzy
In response to the court decision, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security called the allegations “repugnant and categorically false,” and assured that immigration operations are carried out under the current legal framework.
However, the injunction represents a legal brake on the mass raids that the Trump administration has intensified in California, and could be extended to other jurisdictions if a pattern of systematic rights violations is demonstrated.
Since Trump’s return to the presidency in 2025, California has once again placed itself on the front lines of resistance against the federal government’s immigration policies.
This new court battle adds to other ongoing lawsuits challenging the legality of ICE operations and their impact on immigrant communities, many with decades of residency in the country.
Regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak or where they work, everyone is guaranteed constitutional rights that protect them from unlawful detention
