Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in D.C.

""The government's defense appears to be that the individuals behind these statements are ignorant or incompetent, or both," Howell wrote in her 88-page order. "This defense puts a new twist on the old saying, 'I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do,' by asserting the position 'don't believe either what we say or what we do, just trust whatever we tell you now.'""

""Since this alleged change in policy for warrantless civil immigration arrests, such arrests have proliferated," Howell wrote. "The court's ruling affirms that immigration agents are not above the law," plaintiffs and counsel said in a joint statement. "Despite the Trump administration's attempts at fear and intimidation, everyone in D.C. has rights, regardless of who they are and their immigration status, and all federal agents are required by law to respect these rights.""

Federal agents employed a lower legal standard than required for arrests, producing contradictions between official statements and actions. A lawsuit brought by immigrant advocacy group CASA, Temporary Protected Status holders and immigrant asylum seekers documented about 40 warrantless arrests. Federal behavior directly violated legal requirements and exceeded the standards applicable after a Supreme Court order limited stops to reasonable suspicion rather than probable cause for arrests. Warrantless civil immigration arrests proliferated after the alleged policy change. White House officials set a nationwide daily ICE arrest goal of 3,000, and a senior White House official instructed agents to "just go out there and arrest." An analysis found 943 immigration arrests in D.C. between Aug. 7 and Sept. 9.

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