Trump officials are fighting back against a Los Angeles federal judge’s order to halt “indiscriminate” and “roving” immigration patrols in California.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went on Fox News and publicly bashed the ruling, calling it “ridiculous” and “wrong.”
“We will appeal, and we will win,” Noem said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
The 52-page order, issued late Friday evening by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, appointed by former Pre Joe Biden, granted two temporary restraining orders.
The first order bars federal agents from conducting detention stops in the district unless the agent has “reasonable suspicion” the person stopped is in “violation of U.S. immigration law.”
A second ruling orders the federal government to allow immigrants who have been detained to have access to counsel, and repeats concerns about the conditions in which they’ve been detained. Attorneys claim they are being blocked from meeting and conferring with their clients, which they allege is also in violation of the Constitution.
During Noem’s appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream, Noem criticized the judge and denied that agents are unlawfully targeting people. She said judges are getting political and interfering in immigration enforcement.
“It’s not their job,” Noem told Bream. “I hope they can bring some dignity back to the bench, because we’re lacking it now, for many of these federal judges.”
Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan also took to the news, appearing Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union to refute the ruling and allegations that ICE agents are racial profiling.
“Look, we’re going to litigate that order, because I think the order’s wrong,” Homan said. “I mean, she’s (Frimpong) assuming that the officers don’t have reasonable suspicion. They don’t need probable cause to briefly detain and question somebody. They just need reasonable suspicion. And that’s based on many articulable facts.”
A coalition of civil rights, immigrant rights and local government agencies sought the order in response to immigration raids that began in early June, CalMatters reported.
In the ruling, ICE cannot stop or detain people based solely on factors such as race/ethnicity, speaking with an accent or being at locations such as bus stops, day laborer sites or agricultural sites.
The Trump administration says it is enforcing federal immigration law and executing federal search warrants for labor violations. Homan has said repeatedly that in sanctuary cities immigration agents have to go out into the community to make arrests because local jurisdictions won’t honor ICE detainers.
“No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy—that authority rests with Congress and the president,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told City News Service in an email Sunday, per ABC 7 Eyewitness News. “We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal.”
Since early June, the escalating tensions have spiraled into violence and resulted in ongoing clashes between anti-ICE protestors and federal and local officers in California.
Last Thursday, July 10, rioters hurled large rocks at law enforcement vehicles as they tried to leave a worksite bust at a marijuana farm in Ventura County, California. One protestor appeared to fire shots at federal agents, resulting in the FBI issuing a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Noem confirmed on X that 319 illegal immigrants were apprehended during the immigration operation at Glass House Farms, and said that “law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential forced labor, exploitation and trafficking,” Fox News Digital reported.
I was just given an update on Thursday’s operation at the marijuana facility in California. @DHSgov law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential forced labor, exploitation, and trafficking.
They arrested 319 illegal aliens.
They faced assaults, violence, and even…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) July 12, 2025
The agency on Sunday announced at least 361 illegal workers were arrested from both sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo, according to a news release.
ICE and CBP arrested several illegal immigrants with convictions for rape, serial burglary, hit and run and DUIs, including:
- Roman Izquierdo from Mexico, who has been convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation. ICE previously deported him in 2006.
- Juan Duarte-Velasquez from Mexico, who has been convicted of rape and a DUI.
- Jose Orellana from El Salvador, who has been convicted of a DUI and a hit-and-run with property damage.
- Adriana Gonzalez-Gonzalez from Mexico, who has been convicted three times for burglary and a DUI.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on X late on Sunday that the Justice Department was reviewing the actions of protesters during the raid, including Democratic U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal of California, Reuters reported.
We take all allegations of inciting violence or doxing of federal employees very seriously—no one is above the law, and members of Congress are no exception. We are reviewing reports from the protest. If substantiated, we will pursue every appropriate legal avenue to protect our… https://t.co/0DDPuxPBX3
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 14, 2025
“We take all allegations of inciting violence or doxing of federal employees very seriously—no one is above the law, and members of Congress are no exception,” Blanche said.
Civil and immigration rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit “Perdomo v. Noem” in early July on behalf of people who have been unlawfully stopped or detained by federal agents, CalMatters reported.
They maintain armed immigration agents are racial profiling and aggressively targeting immigrants and U.S. citizens at Home Depots, car washes, and Latino markets across Los Angeles. In addition, they allege that once detained they are being denied food, water and the right to speak with an attorney.
On July 8, the city of Los Angeles, along with other Southern California municipalities, joined the lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging the legality and constitutionality of recent immigration raids and enforcement tactics.
Frimpong’s ruling does not stop the federal government from obtaining search warrants and continuing workplace raids. A hearing on whether the temporary restraining order should be extended into a preliminary injunction is expected in the coming weeks.
” … Appearance can be just one,” Homan added. “For instance, if someone has an MS-13 tattoo on their face, that may be one factor to add to other factors to raise reasonable suspicion. … But I can tell you this, that every ICE officer goes through Fourth Amendment training every six months, and reminded what their authorities are for arrest, detention, and questioning. So, the officers are very well-trained.”