Overview

• Four District residents and the immigration group CASA filed a class-action complaint on September 25 in the U.S. District Court for D.C.
• The suit alleges plainclothed, masked federal agents have conducted indiscriminate arrests without warrants or probable cause, targeting people perceived to be Latino.
• Plaintiffs tie the arrests to August actions following President Trump’s declaration of a D.C. “crime emergency,” asserting enforcement continued after the emergency period ended.
• One named plaintiff with Temporary Protected Status, José Escobar Molina, was detained overnight and released when an ICE supervisor recognized his valid TPS.
• The complaint names DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, seeks injunctive relief, and is followed by a virtual press conference on September 26, with DHS not responding to requests for comment.