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Judges keep restrictions on ICE raids in LA
Pro-immigration advocates celebrated the temporary court victory over the Trump administration in the ongoing battle to get ICE agents out of Southern California.
LOS ANGELES - The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled to uphold the temporary restraining order that blocks federal agents from continuing aggressive immigration raids in Los Angeles.
The ruling was announced Friday night after a three-judge panel heard arguments earlier in the week.
Mayor Karen Bass celebrated the ruling, calling it a major victory for the city.
"The court essentially affirmed the rule of law. This is a victory upholding the Constitution. The people of Los Angeles stood strong, and this court order affirms that federal immigration officers or the mask people, because in many cases, we weren't sure who they were, cannot stop people based solely on their appearance, their race or ethnicity, the language that they speak, being present at certain locations, or the type of work that they do," Bass said during a Friday night press conference.
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Appeals court extends restraining order on immigration raids
Mayor Karen Bass responds to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision maintaining a temporary restraining order against immigration raids.
She said this decision means LA will continue to see peace in the city as it puts a stop to roving patrols in Southern California.
The ruling is a major setback for the Trump administration, which had aimed to ramp up immigration arrests. Bass said the administration could appeal the temporary restraining order to the Supreme Court.
The backstory:
The appeal stems from a lawsuit filed July 2 by SoCal residents, workers and advocacy groups alleging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is operating a program of "abducting and disappearing" community members using unlawful arrest tactics, then confining detainees in illegal conditions while denying access to attorneys.
The proposed class-action suit brought in Los Angeles federal court by five workers as well as three membership organizations and a legal services provider alleges that DHS has unconstitutionally arrested and detained people in order to meet arbitrary arrest quotas set by the Trump administration.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ACLU announces lawsuit against DHS over 'unlawful' immigration raids
The Department of Homeland Security says more than 2,800 undocumented immigrants have been detained in the LA area since June.
What they're saying:
Attorneys and plaintiffs in Vasquez Perdomo vs. Noem hailed the decision as a victory.
"The Ninth Circuit's decision is a vital affirmation. One of our most basic constitutional principles. That no one, no one can be stopped or detained or arrested based on appearance, language, or location alone," said Public Counsel Mark Rosenbaum.
"I was simply standing at a bus stop, waiting to get to work like I do every day. Then, without warning, several unmarked cars showed up. Men jumped out, grabbed me and my coworkers, and took us away like we were criminals," said plaintiff Pedro Vasquez Perdomo.
"The federal government wants to intimidate us. They want to normalize mass abductions of people from our streets. But people of conscience throughout Southern California will not back down," added immigrant defender Alvaro Huerta.
The Source: Information for this story came from a press conference held August 1, 2025 by LA Mayor Karen Bass.