Federal judge blocks immigration officers to continue detaining people without probable cause

On Friday, a federal judge issued a restraining order limiting the ability of U.S. immigration officers to detain people without probable cause based on race, ethnicity or occupation. The order also prohibits the Trump administration from denying detainees access to lawyers. 

The lawsuit filed by Public Counsel and the American Civil Liberties Union accused federal immigration officials from carrying out “roving patrols” and detaining people without warrants and

regardless of whether they have actual proof the detainees are in the country illegally.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called this order an important victory. She said officers will not be able to drive around and “snatch people” out of the streets anymore.

“We know that all of this has been about creating a sense of fear and terror in our community, but I’m hoping that this ruling will give people a sense of peace that maybe they can leave home now, maybe they can go to work,” said Bass in a video posted on her social media. 

Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, said in a statement that no matter the color of people’s skin, the language they speak, or where they work, “Everyone is guaranteed constitutional rights to protect them from unlawful stops.'' 

“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,” he added.

The fight is not over

While the restraining order allows for a celebratory moment, Bass said the fight is not over and the city will continue using every available strategy to win over the Trump administration. 

“Today it was a victory in the court, I know it will be challenged, but still we won today and we have to keep up the fight,” she said.

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez from Pasadena, said the ruling is a powerful statement against the Trump Administration. 

She commended the Federal District Court Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong for questioning the U.S. attorneys and exposing “the flimsy and discriminatory manner” in which federal agents are conducting the raids. 

“I am grateful that today’s ruling by Judge Frimpong will provide the critical check and balance we need right now to limit many of the attacks we’ve seen on the streets and in the workplaces of our communities,” she said. 

However, she also said the efforts don’t stop here and she’s working at the state level by authoring SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act. This bill would expand the scope of existing police impersonation laws, require law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification featuring either their name or badge number, authorize law enforcement to request identification from someone claiming to be law enforcement and ban bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement.

In response to the judge's restraining order, U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli said enforcement agencies have adhered to the law.

“We strongly disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit and maintain that our agents have never detained individuals without proper legal justification,'' Essayli said in a statement. “Our federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said via social media that “America's brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists -- truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. LAW AND ORDER WILL PREVAIL!”

With CNS information.