CA Judge Holds Homeland Security in Contempt, Imposes Fines A federal judge in California has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in contempt of court for failing to comply with an order to disclose records related to the cellphone communications of immigration agents involved in raids in Los Angeles. The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, marks a significant escalation in a legal battle over transparency in federal immigration enforcement. The judge imposed daily fines of $500 on the federal government until it fulfills the court’s directive to provide digital copies of personal cellphones used by over 800 agents during operations in 2025. The controversy began in January when Judge Frimpong issued an order compelling DHS to expedite the imaging of personal devices used by agents during the controversial “Operation At Large” raids, part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles. The order was part of a broader discovery process in a lawsuit brought by immigrants affected by the raids. Plaintiffs argued that the phones could contain evidence of systemic racial profiling by federal agents, including the use of racial slurs such as “wet” and “tonks” to target working-class Latinos during stop-and-frisk operations. DHS attorneys admitted in June that the agency had not yet provided the requested records, citing a processing rate of three phones every two weeks. This pace, plaintiffs noted, would take nearly four years to complete, raising concerns about the agency’s compliance with the court’s timeline.#los_angeles #department_of_homeland_security #operation_at_large #us_district_judge_maame_ewusimensah_frimpong #acLU_of_southern_california
DHS Held in Contempt A federal judge on Tuesday held the Department of Homeland Security in contempt for allegedly delaying compliance with an order to create digital copies of communications from personal and government cell phones used by immigration agents during operations in the Los Angeles area last year. The ruling followed a January court order that required the federal government to expedite imaging the personal cell phones of more than 800 agents involved in controversial immigration raids in 2025. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, presiding in the Central District of California, imposed a fine of $500 per day on the federal government until it complies with the order to turn over the phones as part of discovery and reimburse plaintiffs’ attorneys for legal costs. Attorneys for DHS admitted in court in June that the agency had not provided the records, stating they were processing government devices at a rate of three phones every two weeks. Plaintiffs argued this pace would take nearly four years to complete, raising concerns about the delay in accessing critical evidence. The case centers on Operation At Large, the Trump administration’s 2025 immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, which drew widespread criticism for its aggressive tactics. Attorneys representing immigrants affected by the raids argued the phones may contain evidence of racial profiling by federal agents. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) highlighted that the Department of Homeland Security had “simply proceeded to thwart” the judge’s order by dragging its feet on imaging government-issued phones and openly defying the requirement for personal devices.#los_angeles #department_of_homeland_security #us_district_judge_maame_ewusi_mensah_frimpong #american_civil_liberties_union #operation_at_large
