• The U.S. appeals court upheld a temporary ban on immigration arrests in Los Angeles based on race or language.
• Protests against the Trump administration’s immigration raids prompted federal scrutiny and legal challenges.
• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hailed the ruling as a victory for local communities against unlawful detentions.

A U.S. federal appeals court upheld a decision to temporarily bar government agents from making immigration-related arrests in Los Angeles without probable cause, marking a significant blow to the Trump administration's immigration strategy. The court found that the federal actions appeared to be based on individuals' race, language, and residence, findings supported by civil rights groups who had filed the lawsuit. The ruling comes amidst ongoing protests in the region stemming from perceived racial profiling in immigration enforcement, according to NYT, NPR, and Reuters.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the federal government’s request to overturn the temporary restraining order imposed by District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, which insisted that any detentions based solely on racial characteristics, such as speaking Spanish or English with an accent, or the individual's job, constitute a violation of constitutional rights. Civil rights advocates have long contended that the immigration actions lack reasonable suspicion and rely on discriminatory practices, according to CBS News and The Hill.

The court highlighted incidents such as the arrest of plaintiff Jason Gavidia, a U.S. citizen detained outside a tow yard despite repeatedly asserting his nationality, illustrating the aggressive tactics used by federal agents. These operations have alarmed the local Latino community, raising fears and prompting broad public outcry, which included legal actions from the ACLU and other civil rights organizations, as reported by SCMP, Le Monde, and Dawn.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed satisfaction with the ruling, calling it a necessary protective measure against illegal immigration practices. The ACLU's Mohammad Tajsar echoed this sentiment, stating that the court's decision is a confirmation that the administration's aggressive tactics are unconstitutional. He emphasized the importance of holding the federal government accountable for its "paramilitary invasion" of the city, as cited in TRT Global and CBS News.