Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Immigrant Arrests Without Warrants or Probable Cause in DC
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's plan to make widespread immigration arrests in Washington D.C. without warrants or probable cause, dealing a significant blow to the administration's efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
The ruling, issued by US District Judge Beryl Howell, grants a preliminary injunction sought by civil liberties and immigrant rights groups who sued the US Department of Homeland Security over the policy. The lawsuit alleged that since Donald Trump declared an emergency in Washington in August, there has been a pattern of widespread, unlawful immigration arrests in the city.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other plaintiffs' attorneys argued that federal officers were frequently patrolling neighborhoods with large numbers of Latino immigrants and then stopping and arresting people indiscriminately. They cited public statements by administration officials that suggested the administration was not using the probable cause standard for warrantless arrests.
The judge's ruling establishes that federal officers must have an administrative warrant to make civil immigration arrests, except in cases where they have probable cause to believe a person is in the US illegally and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. The order also requires any agent who conducts a warrantless arrest to document the specific facts that supported their pre-arrest decision.
The ruling is seen as a victory for immigrant rights groups, who had been living in fear of being stopped by immigration enforcement agents while going about their daily lives. Ama Frimpong, the legal director of Maryland-based immigrant advocacy organization Casa, said the ruling gives hope to community members who had been afraid to conduct their daily activities without fear of being arrested.
However, Frimpong also acknowledged that it may take time for community members to regain trust and confidence in the safety of their neighborhoods. "It's been three, four months of just fear that we have been living with in the city," she said. "I don't think change is going to happen overnight."
The ruling is similar to two other federal lawsuits involving the ACLU, one in Colorado and another in California. However, it marks a significant shift in the administration's approach to immigration enforcement in Washington D.C., where community members had been living under fear of widespread arrests without warrants or probable cause.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's plan to make widespread immigration arrests in Washington D.C. without warrants or probable cause, dealing a significant blow to the administration's efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
The ruling, issued by US District Judge Beryl Howell, grants a preliminary injunction sought by civil liberties and immigrant rights groups who sued the US Department of Homeland Security over the policy. The lawsuit alleged that since Donald Trump declared an emergency in Washington in August, there has been a pattern of widespread, unlawful immigration arrests in the city.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other plaintiffs' attorneys argued that federal officers were frequently patrolling neighborhoods with large numbers of Latino immigrants and then stopping and arresting people indiscriminately. They cited public statements by administration officials that suggested the administration was not using the probable cause standard for warrantless arrests.
The judge's ruling establishes that federal officers must have an administrative warrant to make civil immigration arrests, except in cases where they have probable cause to believe a person is in the US illegally and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. The order also requires any agent who conducts a warrantless arrest to document the specific facts that supported their pre-arrest decision.
The ruling is seen as a victory for immigrant rights groups, who had been living in fear of being stopped by immigration enforcement agents while going about their daily lives. Ama Frimpong, the legal director of Maryland-based immigrant advocacy organization Casa, said the ruling gives hope to community members who had been afraid to conduct their daily activities without fear of being arrested.
However, Frimpong also acknowledged that it may take time for community members to regain trust and confidence in the safety of their neighborhoods. "It's been three, four months of just fear that we have been living with in the city," she said. "I don't think change is going to happen overnight."
The ruling is similar to two other federal lawsuits involving the ACLU, one in Colorado and another in California. However, it marks a significant shift in the administration's approach to immigration enforcement in Washington D.C., where community members had been living under fear of widespread arrests without warrants or probable cause.
this is AMAZING news!! 
a federal judge just blocked that evil plan by Trump Admin to make ppl arrested in DC without w/ warrant probablly caus lol what was he even thinkin?? 
they're tryin to terrorize ppl just bc of their immigration status & now the law's stepd in to stop it!!! 
the ACLU & other orgs sued them & won!! 
Ama Frimpong is literally cryin tears of joy over this ruling lol she said ppl had been livin in fear 4 months straight & now they can finally live without worryin bout gettin arrested 4 no reason. I'm so down for this!!! 
this is legit crazy what's goin on in DC ppl r livin in constant fear of gettin arrested for no reason 
the fact that they had to take a lawsuit to court just to get a basic human right like due process is wild 
can u even imagine bein stopped by ICE and havin nothin to prove ur identity or status? 
it's time 4 us 2 stand up 4 our communities & make sure we r protectin their rights 
. I mean, who wants to be stopped and arrested just for being in the wrong neighborhood? It's like something out of a movie 
. Anyway, it's good to hear that immigrant rights groups were able to fight back and get some justice done 
. I heard Trump said he wanted to build a wall around DC 
... like, what even is that? 
just read that there was this judge who said no more random immigrant arrests in DC without a warrant 
hopefully it'll make ppl feel safer but i'm not sure if trust comes back overnight... it's been 3-4 months of living with fear 
what the gov't should focus on is actually helping ppl get settled and find jobs 
and maybe then we can start talking about immigration reform 
but idk how long it'll take 4 trust 2 b regained cuz like Ama said its been months of straight up FEAR 
. And what if it just encourages more people to come in without going through proper channels? That's a whole other can of worms 
. Ugh, I don't know man... 
The fact that the judge is now requiring federal officers to document specific facts before making a pre-arrest decision is a good step, but Ama Frimpong is right, it may take time for ppl to regain trust. Interesting how this ruling is similar to other lawsuits in Colorado and California, but still a big win for DC community members 
. It's not like we're talking about a small, isolated incident here; it's a blanket policy that was causing people to live in constant fear of being stopped and arrested while just trying to go about their daily lives 
. It's not like they were asking for much - just the same standard of proof that we use in our everyday law enforcement practices 
.
. But now that this judge has blocked the Trump administration's plan, I'm feeling pretty hopeful 
. It's about time someone stood up for those people who are just trying to live their lives, you know? The ACLU and all these other groups have been fighting for this stuff for ages, so it's dope that they're finally seeing some progress 
.
. We've had three, four months of living with fear already, and that's a long time, man 
.
. Maybe it's because Washington D.C. is like, a melting pot or something? Idk, but what I do know is that this ruling is a big deal, and we should be celebrating 
!
so this is crazy! i mean, imagine being able to walk down the street and get stopped by immigration agents just because you're latino? 
it's all about balance, right? we gotta make sure that people are following the rules and respecting each other's rights, but also making sure that everyone's safe and not living in fear. 
" 
. i mean, making arrests without warrants or probable cause? that's just plain crazy talk 
. let's keep spreading positivity & support for all those affected by these policies 
.