Federal Court Ruling: Immigrant Rights Violated in LA Detention

Sat Nov 15 2025 01:03:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration continues to infringe upon the rights of detained immigrants in Los Angeles, limiting their access to legal counsel.

In a significant ruling, a federal judge found that the Trump administration is still violating the constitutional rights of immigrants detained in Los Angeles by restricting their access to attorneys. The ruling mandates that detainees be granted free phone calls with their lawyers and that facilities for legal counsel remain accessible. Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit, alleging systemic discrimination against people of color. The judge's orders aim to ensure detainees can communicate privately with their counsel, countering ongoing government obstacles.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration violates detained immigrants’ constitutional rights by limiting their access to attorneys at a detention facility in Los Angeles, ordering the government to remedy the situation.

Immigrant advocacy groups had filed a lawsuit in July, alleging the administration was systematically targeting people of color in Southern California amid an immigration crackdown. They accused officials of arresting individuals without warrants and denying detainees access to legal counsel.

Judge Maame E. Frimpong noted that evidence showed the government had not fully abided by previous orders to provide free confidential phone calls and consistent attorney visitation hours. The ruling builds upon a temporary order from July that required the government to open the facility for attorney visits seven days a week.

The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the developments. The judge reiterated that the plaintiffs had presented compelling evidence of ongoing violations.

By granting this preliminary injunction, the judge made clear that the government cannot lock people up and cut them off from their lawyers, attorney Mark Rosenbaum stated after the ruling, emphasizing the importance of upholding detainees' legal rights.