A federal court on Friday temporarily halted immigration enforcement tactics in several California counties that were challenged as unconstitutional, drawing swift praise from Governor Gavin Newsom.
The ruling in Vasquez Perdomo, et al. v. Noem temporarily bars federal immigration agents from conducting suspicionless stops in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties (per The Los Angeles Times)—an approach critics say has led to racial profiling and violations of civil rights.
In a statement released by the Governor’s Office on Friday, Newsom hailed the decision as a victory for justice and constitutional protections.
“Justice prevailed today [Friday, July 11] — the court’s decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people’s rights and racial profiling,” stated the governor.
Newsom directly criticized immigration policies tied to White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, calling his agenda “one chaos, cruelty and fear.”
“Instead of targeting the most dangerous people, federal officials have been arbitrarily detaining Americans and hardworking people, ripping families apart, and disappearing people into cruel detention to meet outrageous arrest quotas without regard to due process and constitutional rights that protect all of us from cruelty and injustice,” Newsom asserted. “That should stop now.”
The lawsuit alleges that federal agents conducted stops without probable cause, disproportionately targeting Latino communities and violating due process.
“California stands with the law, and the foundation upon which our founding fathers built this country,” declared the Golden State governor. “I call on the Trump administration to do the same.”
The court’s temporary block is the latest development in the broader legal battle over immigration enforcement practices in sanctuary jurisdictions like California.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.