A federal judge in Los Angeles issued two temporary restraining orders on Friday barring the Trump administration from conducting immigration arrests based on race, language, or occupation, and from denying detainees access to legal counsel. The rulings, handed down by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, represent a significant legal setback for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as it ramps up enforcement efforts in Democratic-led jurisdictions.
Frimpong, a Biden appointee to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, ruled that DHS engaged in unconstitutional conduct by executing "roving patrols without reasonable suspicion" and "denying access to lawyers." Her decision was based on evidence presented in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Southern California and several immigration advocacy groups.
"The court's decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people's rights and racial profiling," California Governor Gavin Newsom stated on X. "California stands with the law and the Constitution - and I call on the Trump Administration to do the same."
The ruling, which applies to a seven-county area including Los Angeles, orders DHS to cease identifying and detaining individuals based solely on racial appearance, spoken language, employment status, or presence at locations like bus stops. It also requires the agency to establish new protocols to determine "reasonable suspicion" and to document all arrests for review by plaintiffs' counsel.
In court Thursday, Judge Frimpong challenged DHS's claim that arrests were based on "trend analysis" rather than racial profiling. "It's hard for the court to believe you couldn't find one case with a report of why someone was targeted," she told government attorneys.
The court also issued a separate order blocking DHS from denying access to lawyers for detainees held in a Los Angeles facility known as "B-18," where immigration groups allege individuals were held without access to beds, showers, or medical care.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass applauded the decision, stating, "L.A. has been under assault as masked men snatch people off the street and chase people through parking lots and summer camps. But today, the Court ruled in favor of the United States Constitution."
The White House said it will appeal the ruling. "No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy - that authority rests with Congress and the President," Trump administration spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. "We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal."
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin condemned the decision, saying, "A district judge is undermining the will of the American people."
The legal challenge was filed days after hundreds of immigrants were arrested during ICE raids across California, including a deadly incident at two cannabis farms. The raids have triggered widespread protests and calls for the removal of federal immigration officers from the region.
President Trump, who recently ordered an aggressive expansion of ICE operations in Democratic cities, has defended the federal crackdown, including the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles. "If our cities and our people need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should state and local police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
