Judge orders Trump to stop indiscriminate immigration stops in California
A federal judge ordered Trump on Friday to halt indiscriminate immigration checks in seven California counties; the White House has responded by calling the ruling a “judicial overreach”.
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The suit was filed against President Trump last week by immigrant advocacy groups, who accused him of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in an immigration crackdown.
The filing in the US District Court asked a judge to block Trump from using “unconstitutional tactics” in immigration raids.
They accused the administration of profiling for search and seizure based on skin colour, issuing warrantless arrests, and denying detainees access to legal counsel.
Judge Maame E Frimpong heard the suit, and found the Government was violating the Fourth and Fifth amendments of the Constitution.
The suit represented three detained immigrants and two US citizens - one of the citizens was held despite showing immigration agents proof of his citizenship.
She commented that there was a “mountain of evidence” confirming the federal Government was committing the constitutional violations they had been accused of.
The Fourth and Fifth amendments protect US citizens from Government overreach. The Fourth prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth ensures due legal process.
Judge Frimpong also had to issue a separate order, barring the federal Government from restricting attorney access at a Los Angeles immigration detention facility.
The ruling means that federal immigration (or ICE) officers will now have to demonstrate “reasonable suspicion” when making an immigration-related arrest in California’s central district.
ICE agents are now specifically forbidden from using the colour of someone’s skin, or speaking another language as a sole basis for arrest.
The White House has responded to Judge Frimpong’s ruling, accusing her of overreaching on judicial authority and calling for an appeal.
“No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy — that authority rests with Congress and the President,” they 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.”
Southern California marks an epicentre of Trump’s immigration crackdown, with tensions and anxiety running high following the anti-ICE protests across Los Angeles in June.
The ruling comes after a slew of immigration raids in California, the latest of which saw 200 detainments - including four US citizens - across two legal cannabis production farms on Thursday.
The raids, similar to ones held at Home Depot and construction sites earlier in the month, attracted several protestors, resulting in clashes between police and civilians.
US Federal immigration authorities announced they had arrested 200 immigrants across the two Southern California farms, citing suspicions they had landed illegally a day earlier to operate cannabis production.
They said the four US citizens were arrested for “assaulting or resisting” officers - but there are conflicting reports of what exactly happened.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also claimed they had “rescued” ten migrant children from “potential exploitation, forced labour and human trafficking” - but did not provide details on where or how the children were rescued.
The operator of the cannabis farms, Glass House Brands, has denied ever “knowingly violating applicable hiring practices”, and said they do not and has never employed minors.
This is just the latest in a series of legal battles launched against Trump by the state of California, with Governor Gavin Newsom condemning the mobilisation of state troops to the state last month.
Mr Newsom promised to "take Trump to court" in June, after a series of peaceful anti-ICE protests erupted into violence overnight.
Authorities fired rubber bullets and rained down tear gas on demonstrators who were marching against President Trump's nationwide immigration raids.