Since June 2025, the Trump administration has led a sweeping deportation campaign, resulting in up to 3,000 arrests per day nationwide, including large-scale operations in Los Angeles. These raids triggered mass protests, legal action, and an ongoing public debate over the limits of federal immigration enforcement.
Los Angeles became a central flashpoint. Protesters flooded public spaces after reports of ICE detaining individuals at day-labor hubs, transit stops, and workplaces. Mayor Karen Bass called the raids “an all-out political assault,” denouncing the use of National Guard and Marine personnel to assist ICE.
In response, the ACLU and other organizations filed a class-action lawsuit titled Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem, arguing that the raids:
- Relied on racial profiling
- Involved unlawful, warrantless arrests
- Denied detainees access to legal counsel
Federal Judge Maame Frimpong granted temporary restraining orders, halting specific enforcement practices in Southern California while broader legal arguments are reviewed.
The outcome of this case may reshape how federal immigration agents operate in urban areas, potentially setting new limits on profiling and mandating legal access in all detention scenarios.
