Judge Blocks Immigration Raids in Southern California

A federal judge in Los Angeles has issued temporary restraining orders halting the Trump administration’s immigration raids across seven Southern California counties, including Los Angeles, after finding that federal agents were arresting individuals without reasonable suspicion, often based on race, language, or occupation. The orders, resulting from lawsuits filed by the ACLU and immigrant advocacy groups, bar immigration agents from detaining people solely based on appearance or workplace presence, and require immediate access to legal counsel for detainees. Plaintiffs include both immigrants and U.S. citizens who claim they were unlawfully detained, sometimes even after showing identification. The Department of Homeland Security denies racial profiling and maintains that operations are lawful, but the judge cited substantial evidence of Fourth Amendment violations. The ruling comes amid increased enforcement, protests, and National Guard deployments in Latino and immigrant communities. The restraining orders are temporary while the case proceeds and may substantially limit the administration’s immigration enforcement in the region.