ACLU Slams ICE Raids in Los Angeles, Alleges Racial Profiling and Inhumane Conditions

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California has launched a fiery legal battle against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding an immediate stop to what it calls unconstitutional immigration raids sweeping through Los Angeles. The class-action lawsuit paints a grim picture of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting migrants, particularly those with brown skin, in a series of aggressive operations that began on June 6, 2025. Over 1,500 individuals—day laborers, farmworkers, car wash employees, and street vendors—have been swept up in these raids, allegedly to meet arrest quotas.

The ACLU’s lawsuit doesn’t pull punches, accusing ICE of detaining people without warrants, often with a show of force that includes tackling and handcuffing. Detainees are then allegedly held in a windowless, overcrowded facility known as B-18, described as a dungeon-like space with inhumane conditions—no beds, limited food, and restricted access to legal counsel. The suit demands an end to these raids, the closure of B-18 as a processing site, and accountability for what it calls systemic racial profiling and due process violations.

Homeland Security has pushed back hard, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissing the allegations as “disgusting and categorically false.” She insists ICE’s detention standards surpass those of most U.S. prisons, providing detainees with meals, medical care, and communication access. Yet, the ACLU, alongside Public Counsel and other advocacy groups, argues these raids reflect a broader pattern of injustice, targeting communities in a way that echoes historical overreaches of power.

Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in this clash, with tensions boiling over into protests. On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 150 to 200 demonstrators shut down the Sixth Street Bridge, chanting “ICE out of L.A.” and holding signs demanding an eviction moratorium. The bridge, a vital link between downtown and Boyle Heights, was described by organizer Christian Alcaraz as a gateway for ICE to “kidnap” community members. These protests, part of a broader day of action, follow earlier unrest in the city, where riots saw property damage and clashes with law enforcement.

This legal showdown unfolds against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s promise of historic deportation raids, a pledge that has turned Los Angeles into a battleground for immigration policy. As the ACLU fights to protect vulnerable communities, the nation watches to see whether justice or enforcement will prevail.