Americas

US federal judge temporarily blocks alleged indiscriminate stops, arrests in LA

District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong said she found adequate evidence to suggest agents stopping individuals based on language, occupation, location, says media report

Serdar Dincel  | 12.07.2025 - Update : 12.07.2025
US federal judge temporarily blocks alleged indiscriminate stops, arrests in LA FILE PHOTO

ISTANBUL

A US federal judge on Friday temporarily barred the Trump administration from conducting what advocates allege are unlawful stops and arrests that have frightened Los Angeles residents, driven immigrants into hiding, and harmed the local economy, according to media reports.

District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued the ruling following a hearing Thursday in a lawsuit brought by several immigrant rights groups, along with three immigrants detained at a bus stop and two Americans, one of whom was held despite presenting identification to agents, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Frimpong said she found adequate evidence to suggest that agents were stopping individuals based on factors such as race, language, occupation, or location -- including places like Home Depot or car washes -- to establish reasonable suspicion for potential immigration law violations.

She said that relying on those factors, individually or combined, does not meet the standards set by the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution.

“What the federal government would have this Court believe in the face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case is that none of this is actually happening,” she said..

The judge indicated that federal agents cannot rely on those factors to establish the reasonable suspicion needed to detain individuals. Besides, everyone held at the downtown detention facility known as B-18 must have 24-hour access to attorneys and a confidential phone line, she added.

The plaintiffs claimed that immigration agents targeted brown-skinned individuals in Home Depot parking lots, car washes and bus stops throughout Southern California, conducting aggressive operations without reasonable suspicion of immigration violations.

They also alleged that agents failed to identify themselves as required by federal law and carried out unlawful warrantless arrests.

The complaint contends that once in custody, constitutional rights were further violated by being held in “deplorable” conditions at B-18, without access to lawyers or regular food and water.

Frimpong agreed with the plaintiffs, stating they were likely to succeed at trial.

According to a date released Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, immigration agents have arrested nearly 2,800 undocumented individuals since June 6.

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