California judge orders ICE to stop profiling Latinos in Los Angeles

Latinos in the Los Angeles area can no longer be stopped by federal immigration agents solely because they look Latino or appear to work in low-wage jobs. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a temporary order on Oct. 23 that became public on Nov. 1, prohibiting officers from making enforcement stops without a specific, individualized assessment of reasonable suspicion.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit in the Central District of California. The judge found that plaintiffs, including immigrants’ rights groups and individuals stopped by authorities, presented a “mountain of evidence” that agents routinely detained people based on racial stereotyping. Body-worn camera footage showed officers using apparent Latino race as the sole basis for stops in various settings, including car washes and school drop-off zones.

Frimpong concluded that the government would likely lose the case if it continued to enforce a policy lacking the required individualized assessment. She noted that agents often failed to ask for identification or secure additional information before detaining individuals. The opinion also cited instances where officers used racial slurs and dehumanizing language during these encounters.

This order follows an earlier directive by the same judge that sought to limit ICE stops in California. The Supreme Court previously blocked that initial measure in an emergency order. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though the LA Times reported that the administration is appealing the new ruling.

A Justice Department official told the LA Times that the order would hinder immigration enforcement efforts. The decision has immediate practical effects for those in the Central California district, as it bars the specific practice of stopping people just because they look Latino or Latino and working class.

New York civil rights activists are watching the case closely. Amy Belsher, director of Immigrants Rights Litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union, stated that the findings confirm an unconstitutional policy of stopping people based on skin color. She noted that the Constitution protects all individuals from unlawful stops and detentions, a principle her organization has challenged in court filings on behalf of New Yorkers.

Lauren Michel Wilfong, a staff attorney with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and co-counsel for the plaintiffs, said the order makes clear that Latino workers have the right to go about their lives without being detained due to their appearance. The ruling is limited to the Central California district but addresses long-standing charges of racial profiling brought by attorneys in New York and New Jersey.