A federal California judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop “indiscriminately” detaining people thought to be in the US illegally. <\/p>\n
The decision came down in a temporary restraining order issued against the government on Friday, which also bars immigration officials from denying individuals access to lawyers.<\/p>\n
The case was brought in a lawsuit filed by three immigrants, arrested at a Pasadena bus stop while looking for work, and two US citizens who were held, one of whom had reportedly shown an ID. <\/p>\n
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the judge’s order in a social media post, accusing her of “undermining the will of the American people”. <\/p>\n
US District Judge Maame Frimpong’s emergency orders are a temporary measure while the lawsuit continues. <\/p>\n
In her order, Judge Frimpong said there was a “mountain of evidence” to support that officials have been performing “roving patrols”, defined as “indiscriminately rounding up individuals without reasonable suspicion”. This would violate the US Constitution, she said. <\/p>\n
The government cannot base its immigration arrests “solely” on factors including “race or ethnicity”, “speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent”, or “presence at a particular location” such as a bus stop or car wash, Judge Frimpong said. <\/p>\n
Judge Frimpong’s decision comes as the Trump administration has ramped up its efforts to crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly in California, a Democratic stronghold that has long held the ire of President Donald Trump. <\/p>\n
Raids in Los Angeles, in particular, were met with widespread protests over immigration enforcement in the region. <\/p>\n