By Vanguard Staff
In a new legal intervention, New York Attorney General Letitia James and 17 other attorneys general filed an amicus brief on July 7 backing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles. The coalition is urging the court to immediately halt what they describe as unlawful, suspicionless ICE raids that have devastated immigrant communities and trampled civil liberties.
The multistate brief, filed in Perdomo v. Noem in the Central District of California, supports plaintiffs represented by the ACLU and other legal advocates who are seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the raids. In detailing the harm caused by the federal actions, the brief argues that “the ongoing mass deportation raids in Los Angeles have shattered the rhythms of everyday life.”
“Masked immigration agents conducting unannounced enforcement actions through the community and, in all too many instances, stopping residents without so much as a reasonable suspicion of unlawful conduct have left people afraid to leave their homes,” the states write. “Restaurants have closed, local businesses have suffered, and families have skipped graduation ceremonies. Residents are hesitant to seek healthcare, and many churches are nearly empty.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who joined the brief along with attorneys general from states including California, Illinois, Michigan, and Washington, said in a press statement, “No one should fear being questioned, detained, or deported by unidentified masked agents while taking their child to school, going to work, or attending church. These mass raids are tearing families apart, threatening public safety, and turning once-lively neighborhoods into ghost towns.”
The amicus brief—filed by states with millions of immigrant residents—warns that the federal raids have caused “serious negative impacts” and that the TRO “is in the public interest and should be granted.” It notes that many stops appear to be conducted without any reasonable suspicion and have impacted U.S. citizens and lawful residents.
The brief highlights several incidents, including the case of a U.S. citizen, Jason Brian Gavidia, who was reportedly pushed against a fence by masked Border Patrol agents in an unmarked SUV. “While they twisted his arm, he said ‘I’m an American, bro!’ and in response they demanded to know what hospital he was born in,” the brief recounts. Gavidia was later released.
The states argue that this is not isolated misconduct but part of a broader campaign that echoes some of the darkest chapters of American history. The brief draws direct parallels between the current actions and past mass deportation campaigns, including the 1954 “Operation Wetback”—a program that “took its name from an ethnic slur”—and the La Placita raids of the Great Depression, which resulted in the deportation of nearly two million people, including U.S. citizens.
“In 1954, California was one of the first two states targeted under ‘Operation Wetback,’” the brief notes. “An earlier iteration of the campaign, in the 1930s, also targeted Los Angeles… Families were separated, and many children never again saw their parents. Historians and scholars have widely condemned these discriminatory raids as inhumane terror campaigns.”
In their filing, the attorneys general quote recent statements by President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as evidence of unlawful targeting. “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Noem stated in a press conference that the government plans to remain in Los Angeles to “liberate” the city from its elected officials.
The brief calls these remarks “chilling” and notes they reflect a “weaponization” of immigration enforcement for political ends.
Beyond the historical and constitutional concerns, the brief outlines the real-time human cost of the raids. “Hospitals and clinics are on ‘high alert,’” the states report. St. John’s Community Health, a network of clinics across Los Angeles, saw its cancellation rate triple after the raids began. One woman with diabetes reportedly refused to leave her home for five days, surviving on tortillas and coffee until clinic staff intervened.
The raids have also disrupted public services. “Restaurants have closed and festivals and farmers markets have been cancelled,” the states write. “The Wilmington Farmers Market recently shut down, stating: ‘Due to increased ICE activity in Wilmington, many of our farmers are scared and have chosen not to attend.’”
Church attendance has dropped precipitously, and immigration agents were recently reported detaining migrants on church grounds. The brief warns that this erosion of community trust is compounded by ICE’s use of unmarked vehicles and masked agents, which has resulted in widespread confusion—and even public safety risks.
“In several incidents, ICE agents were mistaken for kidnappers or criminals,” the brief notes. One report described a man emerging from an unmarked car and pointing a firearm at a group of pedestrians before fleeing—later determined to be an ICE operation. This has prompted state legislators to introduce bills requiring law enforcement agents to clearly identify themselves.
“There have also been recent arrests of civilians impersonating ICE officers to commit crimes,” the attorneys general warn. “The confusion and distrust sown by defendants’ unlawful law enforcement practices has compromised public safety.”
Citing precedent and constitutional protections, the coalition of attorneys general argues that these tactics violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures, and that the raids have “undermined the trust, built over years, between local law enforcement and the immigrant community.”
While the case is centered in Los Angeles, the attorneys general argued that the implications are national. ICE raids have increased in other states, including New York and Illinois, and have contributed to a “culture of fear” for immigrant residents across the country. The brief contends that the Los Angeles raids are “only the beginning” and that “California, and likely other Amici States, will remain a focal point for immigration raids in the future.”
The brief concludes that the court must act swiftly: “The cumulative effect of defendants’ unlawful actions—including unconstitutional stops—has had devastating impacts on California’s peace and prosperity, and has turned once-bustling neighborhoods into ghost towns.”
Joining New York in the filing are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
