The city and county of Los Angeles are among the local governments seeking to take part in a lawsuit sought the Trump administration to stop “illegal detention” during the ongoing immigration sweep in Southern California.
On Tuesday, the government filed an allegation of intervention in a lawsuit filed last week by the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California, public advisors and immigration rights groups.
The lawsuit claims the area is “under siege” by federal agents, and aims to stop federal agencies from “the ongoing patterns and practices of underestimating constitutional and federal law” during immigration raids.
“These unconstitutional rounds and raids cannot be allowed to continue. They cannot become the new normal,” said Atty, a city of Los Angeles. Heide Feldstein Soto at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Feldstein Soto has been joined by Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials who are also looking to join the lawsuit.
The motion from local governments comes as Trump’s administration’s immigration crackdown in Southern California begins two months into the country. Between June 6 and June 22, federal agents arrested 1,618 immigrants for deportation in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“We have refused to coordinate with local governments, so we don’t know who these federal agents will target or when they’ll strike,” wrote attorney John Schwab, who represents Los Angeles and other cities, in the move to intervene. “What is certain is that the defendant’s purpose is to instill the greatest fear in the community and wreak havoc in the economy of one of the most diverse and vibrant regions in the country.”
The allegations argue that migrant attacks hamper local governments’ ability to carry out key law enforcement functions and prevent tax revenues from slowing down the local economy.
LA County and several cities (Culver City, Montebello, Monterrey Park, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Pasadena) hope to become part of the lawsuit at Thursday’s hearing.
“How do you know the difference between this and a temptation?” Bass asked at a press conference.
In a statement, LA County Superintendent Hilda Solis said, “For the past month, we’ve seen people picked up in car washes and in the parking lot at Home Depot. They’ve since disappeared without a warrant, a possible cause, or due process… These actions have created fear, trauma and instability in the community.
Feldsteinsoto emphasized that temporary restraint orders will not stop the Trump administration from enforcing legal civil immigration in Los Angeles.
In a court opposed to the temporary restraining order, U.S. Department of Justice lawyers argued that LA and other local governments were “trying to block federal immigration law enforcement.”
LA officials were already considering the lawsuit before filing the claim Tuesday. Seven city council members have signed a proposal calling for Feldsteinsoto to prioritize “immediate legal action” to protect Angelenos’ civil rights. Feldstein Soto said her office will soon make more announcements about the lawsuit against the administration.
The Trump administration has also sued the city of Los Angeles, claiming its sanctuary policy is illegal and discriminates against federal agencies such as immigration and customs enforcement.
Times staff writer Rachel Ulanga contributed to this report.
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