“These guys are popping up, rampant all over the city, just taking people randomly and we want that particular practice to end,” said attorney Mohammad Tajsar of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.
Immigrant rights organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging “unconstitutional” enforcement actions in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California, claiming that a Trump administration-led crackdown has led to widespread racial profiling, unlawful arrests, and the imprisonment of migrants in “dungeonlike” conditions.
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit was filed early this morning in a Los Angeles-based federal court. In court documents, attorneys allege that the Trump administration has employed “indiscriminate immigration operations” against migrants in many industries.
“Individuals with brown skin are approached or pulled aside by unidentified federal agents, suddenly and with a show of force, and made to answer questions about who they are and where they are from,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three detained immigrants, several immigrant rights organizations, and two U.S. citizens. Together, they claim that the Trump administration’s enforcement actions have infringed on their constitutional rights.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from nonprofit organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and Public Counsel.
“These guys are popping up, rampant all over the city, just taking people randomly and we want that particular practice to end,” said attorney Mohammad Tajsar of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.
Public Counsel attorney Mark Rosenbaum told the Times that a favorable judgement won’t be enforced outside of Southern California, but predicated that the case could nonetheless have “national reverberations.”
The Trump administration has since responded in typically bombastic fashion, with U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin calling the lawsuit’s accusations “disgusting and categorically FALSE.”
“All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members,” McLaughin said in a statement. “[…] In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.”
Many Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, both in California and throughout the country, are operated by private-prison contractors, several of which have been repeatedly accused of understaffing, mistreatment, and neglect.
“These types of smears are designed to demonize and villainize our brave ICE law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “This kind of garbage has led to a more than 700 percent increase in the assaults on enforcement officers.”
McLaughlin did not provide any statistics or elaborate on her on claims.
The lawsuit emphasizes that, in the course of its raids, the federal government has repeatedly detained U.S. legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens.
Sources
Groups sue to stop Trump administration from using what they call unconstitutional tactics in raids
Legal Actions in L.A. Highlight Harsh Tactics of Immigration Crackdown
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