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Federal judge bars immigration agents from racial profiling stops in Southern California

Federal judge bars immigration agents from racial profiling stops in Southern California

Rule Changes

Preliminary injunction covers Los Angeles and six nearby counties; the government is appealing to the Ninth Circuit.

Today: Order against profiling stops is in effect across Southern California

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

A federal judge in Los Angeles has barred immigration agents from stopping people in Southern California because they appear Latino or Latino and working class. The preliminary injunction requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol to show individualized reasonable suspicion before detaining someone.

The order covers Los Angeles and six surrounding counties. It exempts ports of entry and checkpoints, does not decide the case, and is already on appeal.

Why it matters

In Southern California, immigration agents now need specific evidence beyond appearance before stopping someone, changing street-level enforcement while the appeal proceeds.

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Key Indicators

7
Counties covered
Los Angeles and six surrounding counties; ports of entry and checkpoints are exempt.
2
Classes certified
People stopped because of Latino appearance, and people stopped because of working-class Latino appearance.
1
Preliminary injunction
The order applies while the case continues and is not a final ruling on the government's policy.

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People Involved

Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong
Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong
U.S. District Judge, Central District of California
Issued preliminary injunction on Oct. 29, 2026

Organizations Involved

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Federal agency
Subject of the injunction

The federal agency that carries out immigration enforcement inside the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Border Patrol
Federal law enforcement agency
Subject of the injunction

The uniformed border enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
ACLU of Southern California
ACLU of Southern California
Civil rights organization
Plaintiff in the case

Civil rights group that brought the challenge to immigration enforcement stops.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Federal court
Issued the injunction

Federal court hearing the challenge to immigration enforcement stops.

Timeline

2025 November 2026

5 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Order against profiling stops is in effect across Southern California

    Today Legal

    The preliminary injunction issued Oct. 29 remains in place while the government appeals.

  2. Government appeals injunction to Ninth Circuit

    Appeal

    The Trump administration challenges the order in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

  3. Judge issues preliminary injunction against profiling stops

    Legal

    The order requires individualized reasonable suspicion and exempts ports of entry and checkpoints.

  4. Judge certifies classes of people stopped by Latino appearance

    Legal

    Separate order covers people stopped because of Latino appearance and working-class Latino appearance.

  5. Immigration raids in Los Angeles lead to federal lawsuit

    Enforcement

    The federal government stages immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, prompting a court challenge.

Scenarios

1

Ninth Circuit Upholds Profiling Injunction

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: ACLU of Southern California; Los Angeles Times

The government's appeal fails. A Ninth Circuit panel denies a stay and agrees the injunction can remain while the case proceeds. Agents in Southern California must continue to show individualized reasonable suspicion before detentive stops.

2

Ninth Circuit Stays Profiling Injunction

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Los Angeles Times; Bloomberg Law

The appeals court grants the government's request to pause the injunction. ICE and Border Patrol can resume stops in Southern California without the new reasonable-suspicion limits while the appeal continues.

3

Supreme Court Sets National Rule on Immigration Stops

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Legal observers cited by the Los Angeles Times

The case reaches the Supreme Court, which uses it to decide how much suspicion agents need before stopping someone. A ruling would apply beyond Southern California and could replace the injunction with a national standard.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1975

United States v. Brignoni-Ponce (1975)

The Supreme Court reviewed a Border Patrol stop of a car whose occupants appeared to be of Mexican ancestry. The agents had no other reason to suspect the car carried undocumented immigrants. The Court ruled that apparent ancestry alone cannot justify a stop.

Then

Border Patrol had to point to specific facts before stopping vehicles.

Now

The decision established reasonable suspicion as the standard for immigration stops and is still cited in profiling cases.

Why this matters now

The new injunction applies the same principle to ICE and Border Patrol stops in Southern California.

2013

Floyd v. City of New York (2013)

Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin found the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk practices violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The court cited racial disparities in who was stopped.

Then

The city appealed, then dropped the appeal under a new mayor and accepted reforms.

Now

A federal monitor oversaw changes to NYPD stops, and the case became a model for using statistics to challenge racial profiling.

Why this matters now

Like the Los Angeles case, it relied on a record of stops and internal messages to bar profiling while litigation continued.

Sources

(7)
+1
NPR Los Angeles Times Gothamist Bloomberg Law ACLU of Southern California Newsweek Univision