Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Making Immigration Arrests Without Reasonable Suspicion in Southern California

Attribution: Gage Skidmore

On Friday July 11, 2025, a federal judge ruled that the government’s ongoing immigration raids in Southern California and its denial of legal counsel to detained immigrants likely violates the Constitution.

In so ruling, the court issued two temporary restraining orders (TROs) barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies from continuing these actions in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. (Pedro Vasquez Perdomo v. Kristi Noem (2:25-cv-05605)

The first TRO prohibits immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion and bars law enforcement from relying solely on the following factors—alone or in combination—to form reasonable suspicion for a stop including (1) apparent race or ethnicity (2) speaking Spanish or English with an accent (3) presence in a particular location like a bus stop, car wash, day laborer pick up site, or agricultural site, or (4) the type of work the person does.

The second TRO orders DHS to provide access to counsel on weekdays, weekends, and holidays for those who are detained in B-18, the basement of a federal building in downtown Los Angeles located at 300 North Los Angeles Street.

It further requires immigration officials to develop guidance on how agents and officers should determine whether “reasonable suspicion” exists when conducting stops and to implement training for officers involved in immigration operations.

In addition to immigration officers, the TROs apply to the FBI and Justice Department, who are named in the lawsuit and are involved in immigration enforcement actions.

Friday’s ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Southern California residents against the Department of Homeland Security, alleging unlawful stop-and-arrest practices and the detention of individuals in a federal facility under illegal conditions without access to legal counsel.

The City and County of Los Angeles, along with other municipalities, intervened in the case on behalf of their residents, while the State of California filed an amicus brief supporting the temporary restraining order against suspicionless stops.

In a post on X, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, celebrated Friday’s ruling saying, “California stands with the law and the Constitution — and I call on the Trump Administration to do the same.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the ruling, “an important step toward restoring safety, security and defending the rights of all Angelenos.”

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