A federal judge in California ruled late Friday that ongoing immigration-related arrests in Southern California likely violate the Fourth Amendment rights of detainees.
Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies from conducting indiscriminate immigration raids in parts of Southern California. The ruling prevents immigration officers from stopping people without reasonable suspicion that they have committed a crime.
The court warned the administration that speaking with an accent or a person's race is not sufficient to establish reasonable suspicion. The court also stated that a person's presence at a certain location, such as a workplace, is insufficient.
A separate temporary restraining order also requires the Department of Homeland Security to allow those detained at the B-18 federal building in Los Angeles access to attorneys.
The temporary restraining order is not a permanent reprieve for immigration-rights advocates, who must continue building their arguments in court.
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The White House released a statement to the Associated Press objecting to Friday's order.
“No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy — that authority rests with Congress and the President,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. “Enforcement operations require careful planning and execution; skills far beyond the purview (or) jurisdiction of any judge. We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California was one of the groups that sued the federal government.
“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, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, representing the plaintiffs. “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.”
The lawsuit comes as immigration raids have increased in Los Angeles in recent days. Earlier this week, heavily armed federal agents entered MacArthur Park. Groups such as the ACLU called their presence "outrageous."
“What happened in MacArthur Park was unacceptable and unnecessary. All Angelenos should be able to gather in public places free from intimidation and harassment, and no one should be afraid to go out in public because of the color of our skin or the language that we speak," Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, said.
