Federal Judge Orders ICE to Restore Legal Access for Downtown L.A. Detainees

A federal judge has issued a court order requiring that immigrants detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in downtown Los Angeles be granted access to their attorneys in a timely manner.

The ruling comes after lawyers reported that detainees were frequently denied phone access, had in-person meetings canceled, and faced pressure to sign legal documents without private counsel.

The B‑18 facility, originally designed as a short-term holding space, lacks basic amenities such as beds, showers, and adequate medical services. Advocates say ICE has effectively turned it into a long-term detention site, restricting detainees’ ability to communicate with the outside world.

The judge ruled that ICE had continued to violate detainees’ constitutional right to counsel and had not fully met its obligations.

Attorney Mark Rosenbaum, representing the detainees, emphasized that the decision reaffirms a fundamental constitutional guarantee: everyone, regardless of immigration status, language, or origin, is entitled to due process.

The case originated from a broader lawsuit alleging that ICE carried out mass arrests in the region, often through roving patrols and racial profiling, and then detained people in conditions that impeded their legal access.

The ruling underscores the importance of upholding constitutional rights within detention facilities, and marks a significant victory for immigrant advocates working to ensure that access to legal counsel is respected.

Contact Us. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-483-4549 or call 619-819-9204.

Helpful Links

JOIN OUR NEW FACEBOOK GROUP

Need more immigration updates? We have created a new facebook group to address the impact of the new executive orders and other changing developments. Follow us there!