An appeals court has upheld restrictions on immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, maintaining a ruling that prevents federal agents from detaining individuals based solely on their race, language, or occupation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its decision late Friday, agreeing with a lower court that the Trump administration's immigration sweeps appeared to be racially motivated.

The court's ruling largely denies a request from the Trump administration to suspend a previous order from U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. This order requires immigration officials to have reasonable suspicion that a person is in the country illegally before detaining them. The judge's ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by individuals who claimed they were unjustly detained by immigration officers.

The legal battle began after a series of immigration raids in June, which sparked significant protests in Los Angeles, particularly among the city's large Latino community. While most demonstrations were peaceful, some escalated into violence, prompting President Trump to deploy National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to the area to protect federal buildings and immigration agents. Most of these troops have since been withdrawn.

The Ninth Circuit's ruling emphasized that immigration agents cannot base their actions on broad profiles that include factors such as race, language, or job type. The court stated, "the four enumerated factors at issue — apparent race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent, particular location, and type of work — do not demonstrate reasonable suspicion for any particular stop."

Frimpong's July order prohibits federal agents from making arrests based solely on these characteristics. It also highlights that any immigration arrests relying exclusively on these factors violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The appeals court did modify one aspect of Frimpong's ruling, removing a vague clause that allowed exceptions to the ban on using race and occupation in arrests. Pro-immigrant advocates welcomed the ruling, arguing that it protects the rights of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status. Lindsay Toczylowski, president of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, stated, "Every person, regardless of immigration status, has the right to live, work, and belong in their community without being hunted, harassed, or locked away."

The Trump administration has defended its immigration enforcement actions, claiming they are based on intelligence and past experiences regarding where undocumented immigrants may work. However, the appeals court found that the government did not adequately dispute the constitutional issues raised in the case.

Mark Rosenbaum, senior special counsel for strategic litigation at Public Counsel, remarked that the ruling sends a strong message against racial profiling in immigration enforcement. He stated, "These raids were unconstitutional, unsupported by evidence, and rooted in fear and harmful stereotypes, not public safety."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the ruling a victory for the city, emphasizing the importance of protecting communities from unlawful immigration tactics. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment regarding the appeals court's decision.