Overview

• A federal court issued a preliminary injunction restricting Border Patrol agents in California’s Eastern District from conducting warrantless stops and arrests without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
• The ruling stems from an ACLU lawsuit filed on behalf of farmworkers and the United Farm Workers union after January’s 'Operation Return to Sender' in Kern County resulted in 78 arrests.
• Evidence presented in court showed that Border Patrol agents lacked prior criminal or immigration records for 77 of the 78 individuals arrested during the operation.
• The injunction requires Border Patrol to document all stops and warrantless arrests, submitting reports every 60 days, and mandates retraining for agents on constitutional protections.
• The judge criticized the agency for racial profiling and violating Fourth Amendment rights, emphasizing that individuals cannot be targeted based on their appearance or occupation.