Southern California cities have joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a lawsuit released Tuesday by Los Angeles City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto, challenging Los Angeles City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto’s increased immigration enforcement in Southland.
The complaint questioned the tactics used by federal agents in recent attacks throughout the region. In many cases, agents approach people in plain clothes, unable to provide warrants before restraining individuals, and cover their faces with masks and sunglasses. The ACLU said these practices are illegal.
The city of Los Angeles, Louisiana County, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Monterey Park, Culver City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood all joined the lawsuit, Soto said.
“Once upon a time there was checks and balance,” said LA Mayor Karen Bass. “It’s important that we use every venue and use every possibility of justice to seek it, and that’s what we do today.”
In the complaint, the city and the ACLU ask the courts to prevent the federal government from carrying out the attack “without reasonable doubt or possible causes.” The lawsuit accused agents of targeting specific ethnicities by going to workspaces where they are commonly employed, referring to operations outside of local car washes and Home Depot stores.
In a statement Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the complaint accusation of agents following certain groups. The full statement of DHS Deputy Director Tricia Mclaughlin read:
Approximately 100 federal immigration enforcement agents have accumulated near MacArthur Park in the West Lake area of Los Angeles. It has been six months since the Eton and Palisades fire began. The video aired during NBC4 News on Monday, July 7th, 2025 at 3pm.
“The claim that an individual is being ‘targeted’ by law enforcement due to his skin color is disgusting and decisively wrong. These types of smears are designed to demonize and exacerbate brave ice law enforcement. This type of waste has increased by more than 700% due to attacks from executive officers.
“DHS’s executive operations are highly targeted, and officers do due diligence. The claim that ice detention centers have subprime conditions is false. In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most US prisons that house actual US citizens.
“It has been a long-standing practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment aliens enter ice custody. This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arrival at each detention facility, full health assessment within 14 days of admission to or arriving at the facility, access to medical appointments and 24 hours of emergency care. And the happiness of the individuals under our custody is ice’s number one priority.”
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