California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed approval following a court ruling that temporarily restrains U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from conducting unconstitutional stops in Los Angeles during immigration raids. The decision was made by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Attorney General Bonta criticized the actions of federal immigration agents under the Trump Administration, stating, “The Trump Administration is using federal immigration agents as a tool to instill fear and division in Los Angeles communities. In doing so, it is damaging community trust with law enforcement, disrupting Angelenos’ daily lives, and impeding public safety.” He highlighted concerns over agents using masks, unmarked vehicles, and plainclothes to conceal their identities, making it challenging to differentiate them from criminals.
Bonta emphasized that these actions are based on racial profiling rather than evidence of wrongdoing. “Their sweeping stops of Angelenos, based not on any evidence of wrongdoing but instead on racial profiling, is flagrantly unconstitutional,” he said. He added that many residents feel unsafe leaving their homes due to these practices.
The court’s decision mandates an end to these unconstitutional stops in Los Angeles. Attorney General Bonta vowed continued efforts to hold the administration accountable: “As California Attorney General, I will continue to fight to hold this President and his administration accountable to the law and to protect and defend California communities and their civil rights.”
In addition to leading a multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs in Vasquez Perdomo et al. v Noem et al., Attorney General Bonta has taken legal action against the Trump Administration regarding orders affecting the California National Guard.
A copy of the court’s decision is available for public access.
