LOS ANGELES – A coalition of community members and advocacy organizations has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for conducting a series of immigration raids that violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights of thousands. Since June 6th, masked agents have descended upon neighborhoods and workplaces, terrorizing immigrant communities and creating a climate of fear and uncertainty. These unlawful practices are nothing short of a campaign of state-sanctioned abduction.
Raids Target Vulnerable Workers
The lawsuit, supported by groups like the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, United Farm Workers (UFW), and Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), alleges DHS has unlawfully arrested and detained individuals to meet arbitrary quotas established under the Trump administration. “These raids have targeted the most vulnerable members of our workforce,” said Armando Gudino, executive director of the Los Angeles Worker Center Network. “Essential workers who are the backbone of our local economy are being subjected to racial profiling and warrantless arrests.”
Constitutional Rights Under Siege
According to the lawsuit, the federal agents have engaged in suspicionless stops and warrantless arrests across Southern California, disproportionately affecting individuals based on their race and ethnicity. “Since June 6, the federal government has unleashed immigration agents onto the streets, creating a siege and immigration dragnet over the region,” the suit states. This systematic targeting of communities of color not only undermines due process but also perpetuates the narrative that immigrants are criminals.
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Inhumane Conditions in Detention Facilities
Individuals abducted during these raids have been taken to a basement facility in downtown Los Angeles known as “B-18,” where they face overcrowded, dungeon-like conditions lacking basic necessities such as food and medical care. Mark Rosenbaum, senior special counsel for strategic litigation at Public Counsel, described these facilities as “grossly overcrowded” and devoid of basic hygiene, further exacerbating the trauma inflicted on detainees. “The objective of this draconian crackdown is to eviscerate basic rights to due process,” he said, highlighting the inhumane treatment of those viewed as 'illegal' by the government.
Community Response and Legal Action
The lawsuit aims to certify two classes of individuals subjected to these unlawful practices, seeking both preliminary and permanent injunctions to halt further violations of constitutional rights. The plaintiffs have shared harrowing accounts from over 100 families of individuals taken to B-18, detailing their loved ones' struggles with access to information and legal counsel. Angelica Salas, executive director at CHIRLA, emphasized that “Angelenos held in those conditions are routinely deprived of food, water, and clean clothing,” which can have dire consequences on their chances of reuniting with their families.
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A Broader Pattern of Racial Profiling
This latest wave of immigration raids is not an isolated incident but part of a larger trend of increased enforcement and racial profiling targeted at immigrant communities, as reported by DHS statistics. Of the illegal aliens arrested in the first 50 days of the Trump administration, nearly half were convicted criminals, further perpetuating myths that immigrants are inherently dangerous. Yet, these arrest quotas serve only to fuel a narrative of fear, pushing hardworking individuals further into the shadows.
The lawsuit has the potential to challenge the legality of these immigration raids, setting a precedent for accountability in the face of unconstitutional actions by federal agents. As the community rallies together in this battle against oppression, it becomes clear that the fight for justice extends beyond the courtroom. It calls for a reexamination of systems that allow such gross violations of human rights to persist.
“We will hold DHS accountable,” declared Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. The stakes are high, as over 1,500 individuals have already been disappeared into the federal system, leaving families shattered and lives uprooted.
