UCI law clinic joins lawsuit over Southern California immigration raids

The UC Irvine School of Law's Immigrant and Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic has joined a coalition of legal and community groups in a proposed class action challenging federal immigration raids in Southern California.

Filed July 2 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the amended complaint seeks to halt what plaintiffs describe as unconstitutional, racially targeted enforcement across Los Angeles, Orange County, and nearby areas. Vasquez Perdomo et al. v. Noem et al., 2:25-cv-05605 (C.D. Cal., filed June 20, 2025)

The lawsuit represents individuals detained in the raids, along with labor and immigrant rights organizations including the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, United Farm Workers, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

Directed by Clinical Professor Annie Lai, the UC Irvine clinic represents plaintiffs challenging stop-and-arrest practices under the Fourth Amendment and federal law. Coalition partners include the ACLU of Southern California, Public Counsel, and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

The complaint accuses Central District of California U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli and other federal officials of racial profiling, warrantless arrests, denial of counsel, and inhumane conditions at the Los Angeles 'B-18' facility. Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief and class certification.

"We are proud to stand with our clients and fellow advocates to challenge this attack on our communities," said Lai. "These raids are not only illegal -- they are an affront to human dignity and the basic values of our democracy."