Immigration,
Criminal,
Constitutional Law
Aug. 19, 2025
Courthouses should be gateways to justice not traps of fear
ICE courthouse arrests, like the public detention of Steven Rony Reyes in Los Angeles, undermine trust in the justice system, deter participation by victims and witnesses, and should be replaced with enforcement methods that respect due process and allow state criminal matters to conclude first.
Louis J. Shapiro
Email: LouisJShapiro@Gmail.com
Louis, a former Los Angeles County Public Defender, is a criminal defense attorney and State Bar-certified criminal law specialist out of Century City. He is also a legal analyst, board member of the California Innocence Project and Project For The Innocence at Loyola Law School, CACJ and LACBA'S Criminal Justice Executive Committee.
On the morning of Aug. 8, Steven Rony Reyes walked into the Los Angeles criminal courthouse to attend a preliminary hearing on the charge of possession of drugs with intent to sell. For many, the courthouse stands as a symbol of fairness and due process. But for Reyes, that expectation was shattered. As he exited the building, plainclothes ICE agents surrounded him on the courthouse steps, swiftly placing him into immigration custody. The arrest was not only public and abrupt...
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