Federal Judge Restricts Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Southern California
A federal judge in Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, has issued an order limiting immigration agents from making civil arrests without a warrant in the Central District of California. This district encompasses Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. The ruling mandates that agents must first determine if an individual is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. Judge Frimpong stated that merely being present in the U.S. in violation of immigration law is not sufficient grounds to conclude an individual is likely to escape. Agents are now required to document specific, particularized facts demonstrating probable cause for an escape risk prior to a warrantless arrest. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has not yet responded to the order. This ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Unio...
