Decision leaves temporary order in place, barring DHS from unlawful stop practices
LOS ANGELES – Tonight, a federal appeals court denied the federal government’s request for a stay of a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting federal agencies–including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)–from continuing their unlawful actions in Los Angeles and surrounding counties.
The court judgment largely leaves in place the TRO that bars immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion and from relying solely on four factors – alone or in combination – including apparent race or ethnicity; speaking Spanish or English with an accent; presence in a particular location like a bus stop, car wash, or agricultural site; or the type of work a person does.
In early July, Southern California residents, workers, and advocacy groups across various industries sued the DHS for abducting and disappearing community members using unlawful stop and warrantless arrest practices and confining individuals at a federal building in illegal conditions while denying them access to attorneys.
In response, the following statements were issued:
"This decision is further confirmation that the administration's paramilitary invasion of Los Angeles violated the Constitution and caused irreparable injury across the region,” said Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. “We look forward to holding the federal government accountable for these authoritarian horrors it unleashed in Southern California, and we invite every person of conscience to join us in defending the integrity and freedom of communities of color across the country."
“The order issued by the judge on July 11 was a welcome step towards accountability and we are grateful that the appeals court rejected the government’s attempt to return to the chaotic, unconstitutional raids that have besieged our communities,” said Annie Lai, director of the Immigrant and Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic at the UC Irvine School of Law. “None of this would have been possible without everyday people willing to stand up and fight for their rights and the rights of their fellow neighbors, co-workers, and loved ones. This win belongs to them.”
“Today’s ruling sends a powerful message: the government cannot excuse illegal conduct by relying on racial profiling as a tool of immigration enforcement. These raids were unconstitutional, unsupported by evidence, and rooted in fear and harmful stereotypes, not public safety. If the government persists in its efforts to overturn the temporary restraining order, it is asking the courts to sanction racial profiling—and to establish, for the first time in our nation’s history, that people can be detained and arrested based solely on their race and appearance. That should deeply alarm all of us,” said Mark Rosenbaum, senior special counsel for strategic litigation at Public Counsel.
“Justice prevails with today’s 9th Circuit Court decision, but the real victory will be when all of those who were detained, disappeared, and torn away from their loved ones and communities through these illegal actions and tactics are safely home. We do have rights in this country, we belong, and we will not rest until they are respected,” said Angelica Salas, executive director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
“This ruling affirms what we already knew: you can’t just snatch people up for being brown and working hard. Not in the fields, not in a Home Depot parking lot, and not on our watch. Farm workers are on the frontline of the second Trump administration’s attack on immigrants. That’s why the farm workers’ union will do whatever it takes to defend farm workers and the entire immigrant working class,” said Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers.
“Today’s decision is a powerful reminder that our rights don’t disappear at the job site or the bus stop. The court has upheld what we’ve always known, that dignity, safety, and justice belong to every worker, regardless of what language we speak, where we stand, or the work we do. This victory belongs to the people who power this great city of ours, this victory belongs to the city of Los Angeles,” said Armando Gudino, executive director of the Los Angeles Worker Center Network (LAWCN).
“This decision reaffirms that nobody is above the law - not even the federal government. Southern California was never going to back down in the face of lawless attacks on our immigrant communities. Every person, regardless of immigration status, has the right to live, work, and belong in their community without being hunted, harassed, or locked away. While we celebrate this hard-fought victory, we remain relentless in protecting our clients in the courtroom and beyond,” said Lindsay Toczylowski, president and CEO of Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef).
The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Public Counsel, Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin, UC Irvine School of Law Immigrant and Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, ACLU Foundations of Northern California and San Diego & Imperial Counties, Hecker Fink LLP, Martinez Aguilasocho Law, Inc, CHIRLA, and ImmDef.
Read the order: https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/08/01/25-4312.pdf
Read more about the case: https://www.aclusocal.org/en/cases/vasquez-perdomo-v-noem