Judge moves to extend ban on race-based ICE stops in Los Angeles County

In a hearing in downtown Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong indicated she will issue a fresh order preventing ICE officers from conducting stops based only on a person’s race. The move comes after the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, United Farm Workers and other plaintiffs asked for a preliminary injunction, citing new depositions and body-camera video that they say demonstrate a pattern of targeting Latino, low-income individuals.

Government lawyer Daniel Mummolo cited a Supreme Court decision and Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s view that the plaintiffs likely lack standing, arguing few repeat stops have been documented. Frimpong asked whether the Supreme Court’s earlier stay reflected a lack of evidence. The judge previously issued a temporary restraining order last year, which the Ninth Circuit refused to stay but the Supreme Court later paused. ICE’s practice of masked, unmarked vehicles conducting “targeted operations” remains a point of contention, with plaintiffs arguing the policy is racially driven and violates Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.