LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration continues to violate the constitutional rights of detained immigrants by limiting their access to attorneys at a detention facility in Los Angeles. The court has directed the government to rectify these issues.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by immigrant advocacy groups in July, which accuses the administration of targeting individuals based on their race and implementing warrantless arrests while denying detainees their legal rights.
Judge Maame E. Frimpong reaffirmed her earlier ruling from July, which required officials at the detention facility to guarantee minimum hours for attorney visitation. The judge emphasized that while there has been some compliance, issues remain regarding the government's communication about facility closures.
Evidence presented in court indicated that the federal government is still not fully adhering to the July ruling. Notably, the plaintiffs highlighted that while the detention facility has been open for scheduled attorney visits, notifications regarding any closures have been unreliable.
Attorneys for the detainees reported ongoing difficulties in securing private meetings with their clients, which were often interrupted by the presence of guards. There have also been reports of detainees being moved unexpectedly to other facilities that do not allow attorney visits.
Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney with Public Counsel, expressed relief at the judge's decision, stating, “By granting this preliminary injunction, the judge made clear that the government cannot lock people up and cut them off from their lawyers.”
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet issued a comment regarding the ruling.
