The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit against DHS to halt ICE raids in Los Angeles, citing allegations of racial profiling and inhumane detention conditions as immigration enforcement intensifies in the region.

ACLU Takes Legal Action Against ICE Operations

The American Civil Liberties Union of California filed a sweeping lawsuit Wednesday against the Department of Homeland Security, seeking an immediate halt to what it describes as unconstitutional immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. The lawsuit targets ICE operations alleged to focus on individuals with “brown skin,” accusing federal agents of racial profiling and violating the constitutional rights of migrants.

The legal action, supported by individual immigrants and advocacy groups including Public Counsel, contends that ICE has detained approximately 1,500 people since June 6 in efforts to meet arrest quotas. Those targeted include Latino day laborers, farmworkers, car wash employees, and street vendors. According to the lawsuit, individuals are often confronted by federal agents with no warrant or prior information, detained for hesitating or failing to answer questions, and sometimes forcibly taken into custody.

Conditions in ICE holding centers have also come under fire. The suit specifically points to “B-18,” an overcrowded, windowless facility described as “dungeon-like” and unsuitable for detaining individuals for extended periods. Plaintiffs allege that detainees have been deprived of beds, food, and access to legal counsel, and that the center—intended for short-term processing—has become a site of systemic due process violations.

In addition to seeking to stop the raids, the lawsuit calls for ICE to cease use of the B-18 facility and to be held accountable for alleged racial discrimination and deprivation of civil liberties. Defendants named in the complaint include Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and several regional law enforcement officials.

Protests and Government Response Intensify

Los Angeles, already the focal point of President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda, has witnessed escalating protests as ICE raids continue. Last month, demonstrations erupted into riots, with property destruction and clashes with law enforcement. On Tuesday, as part of a coordinated day of action, 150 to 200 protesters shut down the Sixth Street Bridge, carrying signs demanding an end to ICE presence in Los Angeles and chanting slogans in support of immigrant rights.

Christian Alcaraz, a community organizer, told local media that the bridge has become symbolic of ICE’s presence and the removal of local residents from their neighborhoods. Additional rallies were held across the county, including in Koreatown, as activists intensified calls for change.

In response to the lawsuit and protests, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a strong denial of all allegations. “Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically false,” McLaughlin stated. She further refuted assertions of substandard detention conditions, claiming, “ICE has higher detention standards than most US prisons that hold actual US citizens. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members.”

The legal battle over ICE operations in Los Angeles underscores broader national debates on immigration enforcement, civil rights, and the balance between security and constitutional protections. As the court case unfolds, Southern California remains at the center of a heated struggle over the future of immigration policy and community policing.