Trump admin asks appeals court to pause order requiring officials to stop immigration arrests without probable cause

The Trump administration on Monday asked a federal appeals court to pause a sweeping order from a California judge that required officials to stop making immigration arrests without probable cause in the southern part of the state.

The ruling issued Friday by US District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ordered the Department of Homeland Security to develop guidance for officers to determine “reasonable suspicion” outside of the apparent race or ethnicity of a person, the language they speak or their accent, “presence at a particular location” such as a bus stop, or “the type of work one does.”

The ruling applies only to the seven-county jurisdiction of the US Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Justice Department attorneys asked the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to put Frimpong’s order on hold while they challenge it before the appeals court.

The administration said in its emergency appeal that Frimpong had overstepped in her ruling, accusing the appointee of former President Joe Biden of a “judicial takeover” of executive branch policy.