The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a temporary restraining order that halts aggressive immigration raids in Los Angeles, marking a significant legal win for city leaders and immigrant advocates.
The decision, handed down Friday night by a three-judge panel, followed intense legal arguments earlier in the week and drew praise from Mayor Karen Bass, who called it a “major victory for the city.”
“The court essentially affirmed the rule of law,” Bass said during a press conference Friday evening. “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 emphasized that the ruling would help maintain peace in the city and prevent further anxiety caused by unannounced, sweeping patrols across Southern California.
The ruling is seen as a blow to the Trump administration, which had sought to increase immigration arrests through what plaintiffs described as unconstitutional tactics. Bass noted that while the administration could appeal to the Supreme Court, the current decision provides critical protections to vulnerable communities.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed on July 2 by Southern California residents, workers, and advocacy groups. The plaintiffs allege that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security operated a program that effectively “abducted and disappeared” individuals using unlawful arrest methods. Detainees were reportedly held in poor conditions and denied access to legal counsel.
The proposed class-action suit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses DHS of violating constitutional rights in a bid to meet arrest quotas mandated by the Trump administration.
For now, the court’s decision delivers a powerful message: immigration enforcement cannot trample civil liberties in the nation’s second-largest city.
