Judge rules against ICE in Colorado

Once again, the Trump administration has been defeated in court on the immigration front. This time, it is a case filed by the ACLU that was filed after the administration announced plans to expand its immigration efforts across the country.

The judge has blocked the arrest of any illegal immigrant other than those who are believed to want to flee from law enforcement.

Expanding operations

In April, a report surfaced that the Trump administration was earmarking $45 billion to expand immigration detention centers around the country.

The purpose was to enable the administration to expedite the processing of illegal immigrants after being detained.

Heidi Altman, the vice president for policy at the National Immigration Law Center, stated, “This is D.H.S. envisioning and getting ready to unroll — if it gets the money — an entirely new way of imprisoning immigrants in the U.S.”

Once the report surfaced, advocacy groups were up in arms.

ACLU files suit

Later that month, the ACLU filed suit to block the expansion of immigration efforts in Western states.

Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project, stated, “ICE has taken aggressive steps to expand immigration detention at an unprecedented rate in service of President Trump’s campaign promise to tear apart families and deport immigrants who contribute to our communities and our economy.

“Already, we are seeing the consequences of the administration’s immigration policies – and the public has the right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being misused in service of this dystopian agenda.”

Tim Macdonald, ACLU of Colorado Legal Director, added, “We refuse to allow ICE and other federal agencies to hide their work from the public. ICE cannot continue to withhold basic information about its operations and plans for expanded immigration detention from journalists, advocacy organizations, and our communities.”

Judge blocks ICE

This week, a ruling was handed down in the ACLU’s efforts to block the administration’s agenda, more specifically, on its arresting illegal immigrants without a warrant.

U.S. District Senior Judge R. Brooke Jackson, a Barack Obama appointee, has ruled that the only arrests that may be made are those who are likely to flee. There was also the implication that federal agents are racially profiling.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin slammed Judge Jackson’s ruling as “activist," then added, "Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in 'racial profiling' are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE.”

This ruling was expected, as similar rulings have been made by other liberal judges in blue states. This is far from over, however, as I am positive the administration will fight this at the Supreme Court level.