Latest news with #MaameEwusi-MensahFrimpong
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
ICE barred from racial profiling in Los Angeles sweeps
Representative image A federal judge in Los Angeles issued a temporary order barring US immigration authorities from stopping people for questioning without cause, the latest fallout from the Trump administration's controversial crackdown on migrants. A temporary restraining order sought by a group of Southern California residents, workers and advocacy groups was granted Friday by US district judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. The judge barred agents in the Los Angeles area from stopping and questioning individuals without reasonable suspicion that they're in the US illegally. The order forbids the agents from basing their suspicion on race, ethnicity, speaking Spanish, speaking English with an accent, the type of the work they do or where they are located. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the department of homeland security, said "a district judge is undermining the will of the Americans." The groups argued that officials "must have an objective, particularized basis" to believe that a person is in the US illegally before they can stop them and require they answer questions. To do otherwise, they alleged, amounts to illegal racial profiling.
The Intercept
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
ICE Campaign of Violence Will Lead to More Deaths
Federal immigration agents toss tear gas at protesters during a raid in the agriculture area of Camarillo, Calif., Thursday, July 10, 2025. AP Photo / Michael Owen Baker After weeks of brazen rights violations and outright impunity from America's secret police force, a federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday issued a sharp rebuke of the racist tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong blocked ICE's 'roving' patrols in Southern California, halting agents from carrying out unconstitutional arrests based on racial profiling alone. Going forward, they'll need to have specific grounds for believing someone to be in the country illegally before they can make an arrest. 'Is it illegal to conduct roving patrols which identify people based upon race alone, aggressively question them, and then detain them without a warrant, without their consent, and without reasonable suspicion that they are without status?' the judge wrote. 'Yes, it is.' While the temporary restraining order is a rightful recognition of the deportation machine's racist operations, it is unlikely to hinder a border regime that holds racist exclusion as its organizing principle, and unaccountable brute force as standard procedure. Just a day earlier, the Trump administration's anti-immigrant campaign took a life in farmland north of Los Angeles. Jaime Alanis, a Mexican farmworker, fell more than 30 feet from a greenhouse when federal agents on Thursday stormed the state-licensed cannabis farm in Ventura County, Calif., where he had worked for over a decade. Alanis died from his injuries in hospital. ICE agents detained over 200 people in militarized raids on two large farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, including a number of U.S. citizen workers and protesters who gathered outside the facilities in response to the raids. As of Saturday morning, at least two of the abducted citizens were still reported missing by loved ones and colleagues. 'Many workers-including U.S. citizens, were held by federal authorities at the farm for 8 hours or more,' the United Farm Workers union said in a statement. 'U.S. citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones.' Thursday's raids led to a reported eight hospitalizations and multiple other injuries. Alanis' tragic death is not a freak accident, but the consequence of the government's program of militarized human hunting. In scenes now familiar in California and beyond, footage showed federal agents bombarding protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets. And such tactics are likely to continue even after Judge Frimpong's order, which does not apply to raids with warrants aimed at workplaces. 'These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families.' A heavily armed, masked army dedicated to rounding up poor brown people en masse will inevitably perpetrate and oversee death-dealing acts. We have all seen videos showing extreme force by ICE and other federal agents: they have chased farm workers through the fields, pummeled immigrants pinned down on the street, smashed car windows and dragged people from their vehicles. Abuses and rights violations in immigrant detention centers are rampant. None of this is new in the unbroken American tradition of racist state violence and border rule. Under President Donald Trump's border regime, though, violent escalation in immigration enforcement has been lauded, licensed, and now supercharged with unprecedented funding. The consequence will be more deaths like Alanis's, and the deaths of 13 people in ICE custody this year alone, atop a baseline of suffering for millions. 'These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,' the United Farm Workers said. Numerous workers and protesters detained by ICE on Thursday remain unaccounted for. One farm security guard – George Retes, 25, a U.S. citizen and disabled army veteran – was reportedly attempting to leave the area when agents grabbed him from his car. 'They broke his window, they pepper-sprayed him, they grabbed him, threw him on the floor. They detained him,' his sister, Destinee Majana, told reporters in tears. Retes had not been located 24 hours after the raid. His status as a citizen does not make state violence against him somehow worse, but his abduction highlights the indiscriminate and unconstrained nature of these racist round ups. Jonathan Caravello, a U.S. citizen and professor at California State University Channel Islands, remains missing as well. '4 masked agents dragged Jonathan away into an unmarked reason without identifying themselves, without giving the reason for arrest, and without disclosing where they are taking him,' the California Faculty Association posted on social media on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that 'four U.S. citizens are being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers' – claims that the government routinely levies against individuals who have been groundlessly arrested, including in the recent bunk arrests of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver. In a predictably mendacious press release, DHS described the Thursday raids as heroic efforts, in which federal agents 'rescued at least 10 migrant children.' 'The UFW is also aware of reports of child labor on site,' the United Farm Workers union said in its statement. 'The UFW demands the immediate facilitation of independent legal representation for the minor workers, to protect them from further harm. Farm workers are excluded from basic child labor laws.' The union added, 'To be clear: detaining and deporting children is not a solution for child labor.' Recent Republican efforts around child labor, meanwhile, have involved proposing and passing legislation in states nationwide to loosen child labor protections, including for work on construction sites and in factories. Caging and deporting immigrant children is another bipartisan practice that Republicans are aggressively ramping up. In the face of the Trump administration's escalating violence, anti-ICE protesters continue crucial efforts to impede the detention and deportation machine. Judge Frimpong's order marks a rare check on ICE from the courts, but it won't stop the administration from its cruel campaign. On Friday, the same day as the district court ruling and the death of Alanis, Trump announced on social media that he was giving 'Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself' against protesters who 'assault' agents by arresting them 'using whatever means is necessary to do so.'
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Judge Blocks ICE From Racial Profiling in LA Migrant Sweeps
(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge in Los Angeles issued an order temporarily blocking US authorities from using racial or ethnic profiling during immigration sweeps in the region and requiring that detainees get access to lawyers. The order Friday by US District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong is the latest fallout from the Trump administration's controversial crackdown on migrants in California and across the US. It came in a lawsuit by a group of Southern California residents, workers and advocacy groups who accused President Donald Trump's administration of terrorizing the population with heavy handed and unconstitutional tactics. 'Today's historic ruling means the federal government cannot fence off the Constitution from Los Angeles and surrounding communities,' said Mark Rosenbaum, a senior lawyer at Public Counsel, which represents the plaintiffs. 'The question now for our federal government is whether it is prepared to conduct its operations under the rule of law. To date, the answer has been no.' The judge said she will hold a hearing later on the groups' request for a longer-lasting preliminary injunction that would block the alleged conduct while the lawsuit proceeds, which could take months or longer. The judge barred agents in the Los Angeles area from stopping and questioning individuals without reasonable suspicion that they're in the US illegally. The order forbids the agents from basing their suspicion on race, ethnicity, speaking Spanish, speaking English with an accent, the type of the work they do or where they are located. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said 'a district judge is undermining the will of the American people.' 'America's brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists — truly the worst of the worst — from Golden State communities,' she said in an emailed statement. 'Law and order will prevail.' The government didn't provide evidence in the case that the people being detained in the area had committed such crimes. The order by Frimpong, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, is a rebuke to the administration's raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in public spaces to make mass arrests. It comes as a wide swath of the most populous state's Democratic elected officials, from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to Governor Gavin Newsom, have slammed the Trump administration over its alleged conduct. The disputed tactics include using National Guard troops to protect ICE agents during immigration sweeps and deploying US Marines in downtown Los Angeles to help quell protests, both of which triggered separate lawsuits. But the targeting of suspected migrants by masked and armed immigration agents has been a focal point of Democratic criticism. 'Armed to the hilt, masked, and driving unmarked cars, they have adopted a central strategy of grabbing people first and asking questions later,' the groups said in their request for a restraining order. Trump has argued that his tactics are in line with the president's constitutional authority to carry out immigration policy and that voters elected him to follow through on his vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump has frequently portrayed migrants as criminals who pose a threat to Americans, but court records show many law-abiding noncitizens have been swept up across the country. The groups that sued in Los Angeles, the second-largest US metropolitan area and a focal point of Trump's effort, argued in court filings that federal immigration agents are violating the Constitution by conducting stops 'without reasonable suspicion' that the individuals were in the US illegally. The agents are trying to meet 'an arbitrary quota for 3,000 daily arrests imposed by the White House,' the groups said. 'But while defendants may believe that immigration enforcement can be a numbers game, the Fourth Amendment requires that seizures be reasonable,' they said in a filing. The filings cite detailed examples of alleged wrongdoing by federal agents, including a man who says he was 'grabbed' at a car wash and interrogated by agents who knew 'nothing more at the time than that he had brown skin and was present at the car wash.' Another man, a plaintiff in the suit, was detained at a tow yard where he was working on his car. 'He told them he was American, but they violently persisted in their questioning, demanding that he tell him what hospital he was born in, and only let him go after he showed them his Real ID, for which they had not even asked,' according to the filing. The plaintiffs argue that 'roving patrols' targeting day laborers, street vendors, farm workers and other were 'expressly directed' by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who told high level officials at ICE to 'just go out there and arrest' unauthorized noncitizens by rounding them up in public spaces like 'Home Depot' and '7-Eleven' stores, according to court filings. The groups allege that similar racial profiling has been underway at raids in agricultural sites, bus stops, packing houses and churches. Newsom praised Friday's ruling, saying 'justice prevailed,' while Bass said it affirms 'the Constitution, American values and decency.' --With assistance from Robert Burnson and Anthony Aarons. (Updates with comments by plaintiffs starting in third paragraph) More stories like this are available on
eNCA
2 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Worker in critical condition after US immigration raid on California farm
SACRAMENTO - A farm worker was in critical condition on Friday, his family said, after being injured during a raid by US immigration agents on a legal cannabis farm in California that resulted in the arrests of 200 undocumented migrants and clashes with protesters. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called demonstrators involved in attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents "slimeballs" and said they should be arrested. In another development, a district judge ordered a halt to "roving patrols" in Los Angeles by federal agents who were detaining suspected undocumented migrants without probable cause and denying them due process. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ordered an end to the arrests, which she said were being made "based upon race alone," on whether a person was speaking Spanish or English with an accent or because of their place of work. Trump's remarks and the court order come a day after a chaotic raid on a cannabis plantation in Ventura County some 56 miles (90 kilometers) from Los Angeles left one farm worker critically injured. The United Farm Workers labor union had said in an X post on Friday that the worker had "died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday's immigration enforcement action." But the family on a GoFundMe page said he was in critical condition and unlikely to survive. "He was chased by ICE agents, and we were told he fell 30ft (9 meters). My uncle's life is in critical condition; doctors have told us he won't make it. His injuries are catastrophic. His heart is still beating." The Ventura County Medical Center, which told ABC News that he was in critical condition, did not respond to AFP calls for more details. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman, said he was never in custody. "Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet," McLaughlin said. "(Customs and Border Patrol) immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible." The DHS said 200 undocumented migrants were arrested during raids on marijuana growing sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo on Thursday and 10 children were rescued "from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking." Glass House Brands, which owns the farms, said in a statement that it has "never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors." AFP | BLAKE FAGAN DHS said more than 500 "rioters" had attempted to disrupt the operation and four US citizens are facing charges for assaulting or resisting officers. Tear gas was used against the protesters, some of whom were seen in television footage throwing projectiles at law enforcement vehicles. The department said immigration agency vehicles were damaged and a $50,000 reward was being offered for the arrest of an individual who allegedly fired a gun at law enforcement officers. - Showdown - AFP | BLAKE FAGAN In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had watched footage of "thugs" throwing rocks and bricks at ICE vehicles, causing "tremendous damage." Trump said he was authorizing law enforcement officers who are "on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so." "I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public," he said. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of migrants, has been involved in a showdown over immigration enforcement with Democratic-ruled California for weeks. The Republican president sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles last month to quell protests against roundups of undocumented migrants by federal agents. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the troops were not necessary to address the mostly peaceful protests, but his legal efforts to have them removed have failed so far. The cannabis farm in Camarillo was calm during a visit by an AFP reporter on Friday as workers waited in line to collect their belongings and paychecks. AFP | Patrick T. Fallon "We've been here since six this morning asking questions but they're not giving us any information," said Saul Munoz, a 43-year-old Colombian whose son was detained on Thursday. "I just want to know how he's doing," Munoz said. "Bring him back to me and if it's time for us to leave, we'll leave. "The truth is the American dream is no longer really the American dream."
The Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Minors among suspected 200 illegal immigrants detained after raid on California farm
A FARM WORKER was in critical condition yesterday, his family said, after being injured during a raid by US immigration agents on a legal cannabis farm in California that resulted in the arrests of 200 undocumented migrants and clashes with protesters. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called demonstrators involved in attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents 'slimeballs' and said they should be arrested. In another development, a district judge ordered a halt to 'roving patrols' in Los Angeles by federal agents who were detaining suspected undocumented migrants without probable cause and denying them due process. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ordered an end to the arrests, which she said were being made 'based upon race alone,' on whether a person was speaking Spanish or English with an accent or because of their place of work. Trump's remarks and the court order come a day after a chaotic raid on a cannabis plantation in Ventura County some 90km from Los Angeles left one farm worker critically injured. The United Farm Workers labour union had said in an X post yesterday that the worker had 'died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday's immigration enforcement action.' But the family on a GoFundMe page said he was in critical condition and unlikely to survive. 'He was chased by ICE agents, and we were told he fell 30ft. My uncle's life is in critical condition; doctors have told us he won't make it. His injuries are catastrophic. His heart is still beating.' The Ventura County Medical Center, which told ABC News that he was in critical condition, did not respond to news organisation AFP calls for more details. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman, said he was never in custody. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet,' McLaughlin said. '(Customs and Border Patrol) immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.' The DHS said 200 undocumented migrants were arrested during raids on marijuana growing sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo on Thursday and 10 children were rescued 'from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.' Glass House Brands, which owns the farms, said in a statement that it has 'never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.' Advertisement DHS said more than 500 'rioters' had attempted to disrupt the operation and four US citizens are facing charges for assaulting or resisting officers. Tear gas was used against the protesters, some of whom were seen in television footage throwing projectiles at law enforcement vehicles. The department said immigration agency vehicles were damaged and a $50,000 reward was being offered for the arrest of an individual who allegedly fired a gun at law enforcement officers. Showdown People gather at Oxnard City Hall to protest the raids carried out by ICE and Homeland Security at the Glass House Farms marijuana grow facilities. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had watched footage of 'thugs' throwing rocks and bricks at ICE vehicles, causing 'tremendous damage.' Trump said he was authorizing law enforcement officers who are 'on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so.' 'I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public,' he said. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of migrants, has been involved in a showdown over immigration enforcement with Democratic-ruled California for weeks. The Republican president sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles last month to quell protests against roundups of undocumented migrants by federal agents. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the troops were not necessary to address the mostly peaceful protests, but his legal efforts to have them removed have failed so far. The cannabis farm in Camarillo was calm during a visit by an AFP reporter yesterday as workers waited in line to collect their belongings and paychecks. 'We've been here since six this morning asking questions but they're not giving us any information,' said Saul Munoz, a 43-year-old Colombian whose son was detained on Thursday. 'I just want to know how he's doing,' Munoz said. 'Bring him back to me and if it's time for us to leave, we'll leave. 'The truth is the American dream is no longer really the American dream.'
