Trump administration says it will appeal order halting immigration raids in Southern California
The Trump administration says it plans to file an appeal after a federal judge ordered a pause on immigration enforcement operations on Friday in several Southern California counties, including Los Angeles.
In a statement on Sunday, White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the order a "gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal."
"No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy – that authority rests with Congress and the President," Jackson said. "Enforcement operations require careful planning and execution; skills far beyond the purview or jurisdiction of any judge."
The from U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong came as a result of a civil rights lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, which claimed that federal law enforcement officials were making arrests and detentions without probable cause when conducting immigration enforcement operations.
The ACLU accused the federal government of targeting individuals for immigration-related stops based on factors such as skin color, languages spoken, accents or their "presence at a particular location (e.g. bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, etc.)."
"No matter the color of their skin, what language they speak, or where they work, everyone is guaranteed constitutional rights to protect them from unlawful stops," ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar said.
Judge Frimpong sided with the ACLU, citing the of the U.S. Constitution, which protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures.
"Defendants shall be enjoined from conducting detentive stops in this District unless the agent or officer has reasonable suspicion that the person to be stopped is within the United States in violation of U.S. immigration law," Frimpong wrote in her ruling.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the ruling, accusing federal law enforcement of "racial profiling."
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a Trump appointee, claims federal law enforcement officials have been using probable cause during raids.
"We strongly disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit and maintain that our agents have never detained individuals without proper legal justification," . "Our federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution."
As of Sunday evening, it's not clear when an official appeal will be filed.
Since operations began in June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have arrested 2,792 people in the L.A. area, according to the Department of Homeland Security.