Immigrant arrests and stops in California ordered to cease without distinction by a judge
In a significant ruling, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The decision, made on July 14, 2025, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant advocacy groups accusing President Donald Trump's administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown.
The order, issued by Judge Maame E. Frimpong, includes a ban on detaining someone based on their race, carrying out warrantless arrests, and denying detainees access to legal counsel at a holding facility in downtown LA. The order also requires officials to open B-18, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown LA, to visitation by attorneys seven days a week and provide detainees access to confidential phone calls with attorneys.
However, the Trump administration has expressed disagreement with this decision and intends to appeal it. In a statement, the White House said that no federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy.
The lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups, alleges that immigration agents have been conducting raids at swap meets, Home Depots, and businesses, grabbing anyone who "looked Hispanic." The ACLU claims that the recent wave of immigration enforcement is based on an "arbitrary arrest quota" and "broad stereotypes based on race or ethnicity."
The order follows several instances where lawyers from the Immigrant Defenders Law Center and other groups have been denied access to the B-18 facility on several occasions since June. According to the lawsuit, immigration agents detained three day laborers, knowing only that they were Latino and dressed in construction work clothes.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, denies claims that individuals have been targeted because of their skin color. Representing the government, attorney Sean Skedzielewski denies that federal immigration agents consider race in their arrests, only considering appearance as part of the "totality of the circumstances." Skedzielewski states that enforcement operations are highly targeted and officers do their due diligence before making arrests.
In a related legal action, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for illegally sharing Californians' personal health data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, the Trump administration has sued Los Angeles over its sanctuary policies, alleging these policies hinder cooperation with federal immigration authorities and lead to lawlessness.
As of now, there is no specific update on the status of the lawsuit covering seven California counties beyond the appeal of the Los Angeles judge's decision on immigration raids. However, the broader context involves ongoing legal disputes between the Trump administration and various parties in California regarding immigration enforcement.
In a recent development, ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar claims that one of the U.S. citizens detained, Brian Gavidia, was physically assaulted for being Latino. Tajsar questions why immigration agents detained everyone at a car wash except two white workers, if race wasn't involved. Friday's order will temporarily prevent the government from using someone's race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, presence at a location such as a tow yard or car wash, or someone's occupation as the basis for reasonable suspicion to stop someone.
The Trump administration, in disagreement with Judge Maame E. Frimpong's order, intends to appeal, arguing that no federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy and legislation within politics. Contrastingly, the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups alleges that the recent wave of immigration enforcement in California involves systemic targeting based on race or ethnicity, which is a violation of the general news tradition of equal treatment.
