A federal judge is expected to make a decision Friday in an American Civil Liberties Union Lawsuit that is aimed at halting the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations in Southern California. 

In the legal filing, the ACLU and immigrant rights groups claim that federal agents are violating the Constitution by arresting people solely based on skin color, performing raids without warrants and denying legal counsel to detainees. 

Lawyers for the Trump administration deny the claims. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the case. However, the agency has repeatedly said on social media that its agents are targeting criminals. The judge in the case, whom President Biden appointed, appeared critical of the Trump administration's arguments, according to the Associated Press. 

"What we have been seeing throughout Southern California is the federal government, with their masked, armed goons, running up on individuals and community members, stopping them, taking them in, arresting them and then asking questions later," ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar said. 

At the center of the federal lawsuit is Montebello man Brian Gavidia, who was detained by immigration agents last month.

"One thing I would like to highlight was the fact that even though after I stated and proved I was American, they took away my phone," Gavidia said outside the courthouse in Los Angeles. 

After hearing arguments on Thursday, the judge indicated that she would like to issue a ruling by tomorrow," Tajsar said. 

Los Angeles, along with seven other cities and L.A. County, joined the ACLU's lawsuit earlier this week, claiming the immigration raids also violate a Constitutional amendment that protects states' rights to run their judicial systems.

"Essentially, what the challengers are arguing here isn't that the Trump administration just lacks the power to enforce immigration law but that they're doing it the wrong way, and they're doing it in a way that violates constitutional provisions like the due process clause," Loyola Law professor Jessica Levinson said.

In addition to the city and county of L.A., the coalition of cities joining the lawsuit includes Culver City, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.   

"It's been more than a month since Angelenos awoke to a completely frightening and new reality on our city streets," L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said. "We are here today because of the tactics and the disproportionate force being used by the federal government in our communities. We stand as one community. These unconstitutional roundups and raids cannot be allowed to continue. This cannot be the new normal."

One of the attorneys who is representing the municipalities is former U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, whom President Biden appointed. 

The lawsuit also claims that ICE operations have cost the cities tens of millions of dollars in expenses, including overtime. Since enforcement actions ramped up on June 6, L.A. County has incurred $9 million in extra costs, stemming from lost tax revenue and law enforcement resources, according to the Office of County Counsel. L.A. County officials likened the economic impact on the region to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Since operations began in June, ICE and CBP have arrested 2,792 people in the L.A. area, according to DHS.