Federal Judge Halts Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Oregon

(MENAFN) A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that U.S. immigration authorities in Oregon must cease arresting people without warrants unless there is an evident risk the individual might flee. The judge said the decision was based on what he characterized as a recurring pattern of illegal enforcement behavior.

U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai granted a preliminary injunction in a proposed class-action case that challenges the Department of Homeland Security’s reliance on arrests made without warrants during heightened immigration enforcement efforts.

A news agency reported that the lawsuit was filed by the nonprofit organization Innovation Law Lab.

As a result of this decision, Oregon is now the third jurisdiction — following Colorado and Washington, DC — where the Trump administration is prohibited from conducting warrantless immigration arrests without first establishing that the person involved presents a flight risk.

According to the news agency, a comparable legal challenge is currently underway in Minnesota, while the federal government has moved to appeal the rulings previously issued in Colorado and Washington.

During court proceedings, Judge Kasubhai heard evidence indicating that immigration officers in Oregon carried out arrests without warrants and failed to evaluate whether individuals were likely to flee.

This occurred despite internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines that mandate such assessments.

One of the plaintiffs, Victor Cruz Gamez, testified that he was held in detention for three weeks even though he possessed a valid work permit and had an active visa application, the news agency reported.

Another witness recounted an incident in which armed agents entered a bedroom during a raid while searching for a person who did not reside there.

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