Federal appeals court maintains halt on LA immigration detentions

A recent decision by a federal appeals court has maintained a prior ruling that temporarily halts immigration-related detentions in Los Angeles without a verifiable reason for suspicion. The Trump administration’s appeal to suspend the restraining was rejected by the three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. They indicated that it is likely the plaintiffs will successfully argue that arrests were being executed primarily on the basis of people’s looks, language, or location, rather than on valid legal grounds.

This judicial ruling has its roots in a legal case instituted by the American Civil Liberties Union in June. The ACLU claimed that federal officers were leveraging racially prejudiced strategies to fulfil their detention quotas pertaining to immigration. Los Angeles city along with several other municipalities of Southern California became part of this lawsuit that asserts that the agents were resorting to illicit practices such as racial profiling which violated the detainees’ right to legal representation.

In reaction to the demonstrations against these immigration-related crackdowns, President Donald Trump adopted a unique strategy by deploying National Guard personnel and US Marines in Los Angeles during June. This was a notable use of military force supporting civil policing activities within the territories of the United States.

In another recent development, just a month ago a Californian judge imposed a block on the administration. The block prevented them from using factors such as race or ethnic background as the determining factors for recognizing potential targets for deportation. It was also ruled that the access to legal representatives cannot be denied to the detainees.

With respect to this, the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, handed down on Friday but unsigned, echoed the sentiments of the lower court. The ruling stated emphatically that federal officers are prohibited from detaining individuals solely due to their racial or ethnic background, or due to speaking Spanish or English with an accent, or due to being present in specific locations like bus stops, car washes, locations where day laborers are picked up, towing yards, or farming areas.

The effect of this ruling on the Department of Homeland Security and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was immediate, however, they chose not to comment immediately on the announcement.

The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, saw the ruling as a triumph for the city. She expressed her views in a statement where she emphasized how the Temporary Restraining Order will continue to safeguard their communities from immigration agents resorting to racial profiling and other illegal practices while carrying out harsh and offensive enforcement raids.

In her statement, Bass also mentioned that for the time being, this vital order that protects the communities from racial profiling and inappropriate tactics by immigration officers during their aggressive sweep of the city and enforcement raids will remain effective.

Referring to this as further affirmation, she mentioned that the current administration’s paramilitary invasion of Los Angeles was undeniably a violation of the Constitution, and has caused some irrevocable damages in the region.