Court prohibits federal government from racial profiling, denying access to counsel in immigration raids
Cynthia White
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KESQ) – A federal judge late Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately stop broad, untargeted immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Riverside County.
The two temporary restraining orders (TRO) granted by the judge come after a lawsuit was filed by immigrant advocacy groups, accusing federal agents of targeting Latino communities.
TODEC Executive Director Luz Gallegos says the restraining orders “apply to Los Angeles and six surrounding counties, which encompass Riverside County. The lawsuit that led to this ruling specifically named Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties.”
The court found that the federal government’s ongoing immigration raids in Southern California and its denial of access to counsel for arrested immigrants likely violated the Constitution.
The TROs prohibit the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from continuing these unlawful actions.
The first TRO bars immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion and from relying on four factors – alone or in combination, including:
apparent race or ethnicity
speaking Spanish or English with an accent
presence in a particular location like a bus stop, car wash, or agricultural site
the work a person does
The second TRO orders DHS to provide access to counsel on weekdays, weekends, and holidays for people who are detained in B-18, the federal building in downtown Los Angeles.
In a statement responding to the court’s action, the White House said, “No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy – that authority rests with Congress and the President. Enforcement operation 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.”