A federal judge on Friday, July 11, ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The judge’s order comes after immigrant advocacy groups filed a lawsuit last week accusing US President Donald Trump’s administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown.
Immigrant advocates also accused immigration officials of carrying out warrantless arrests and denying detainees access to legal counsel at a holding facility in downtown LA. The order also bars the administration from restricting attorney access at a Los Angeles immigration detention facility. A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security says the allegations are "disgusting and categorically false."
Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit last week, accusing Trump’s administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown. The plaintiffs include three detained immigrants and two US citizens, one of whom was held despite showing agents his identification.
The filing in US District Court asked a judge to block the administration from using what they call unconstitutional tactics in immigration raids. Immigrant advocates accuse immigration officials of detaining someone based on their race, carrying out warrantless arrests and denying detainees access to legal counsel at a holding facility in downtown LA.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, said in an email that "any claims that individuals have been 'targeted' by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE."