Legal action initiated to halt unlawful courthouse arrests by Trump Administration in San Francisco

A group of organizations advocating for immigrant rights and pro bono lawyers have taken legal action against the Trump administration’s policy of courthouse arrests and the harsh conditions of detention at the ICE San Francisco Field Office. The coalition filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, alleging that federal officials are violating the law by apprehending immigrants at courthouses and holding them for days in inadequate and unsanitary conditions.

Under previous administrations, arrests of civil immigration violators in and around courthouses were prohibited to ensure that individuals could access the justice system without fear. However, in January 2025, the Trump administration abruptly rescinded these policies without a clear rationale. Since then, ICE agents have been making aggressive arrests immediately after immigration hearings, even targeting individuals seeking asylum. This practice forces immigrants to choose between appearing in court and risking arrest or missing their hearing and facing deportation.

The lawsuit also challenges ICE’s decision to ignore its own 12-hour limit on detention in temporary holding facilities to meet the administration’s arbitrary arrest quota of 3,000 individuals daily. Detainees have reported being held in small, illuminated, freezing rooms for days without proper bedding, hygiene supplies, medical care, or legal counsel access. In one instance, a man experiencing paralysis symptoms was only given medical attention after being guided by an attorney on how to request help in English. Additionally, detainees are hindered in challenging their detention as lawyers are generally prohibited from the facility after 3 PM and on weekends, and the costly, low-quality phone system impedes their ability to seek legal assistance.

The conditions described in the lawsuit include the appalling treatment of detainees, such as being forced to use an open toilet in front of others, sleep on cold benches or the floor, rely on thin foil blankets for warmth, go without changes of clothes or medication, and endure constant bright lights and freezing temperatures 24/7, a form of torture and sleep deprivation recognized by the United Nations.

The plaintiffs in the case consist of asylum seekers who were arrested after attending court hearings and those with upcoming appearances who fear detention. The lawsuit demands an end to the policies permitting courthouse arrests and the use of hold rooms for prolonged detention, as well as improvements in conditions at the ICE San Francisco Field Office. The case aims to represent immigrants at risk of courthouse arrests in Northern California and those facing incarceration at the ICE facility.

Represented by organizations such as the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF), the ACLU Foundation of Northern California (ACLU NorCal), the Central American Resource Center of Northern California (CARECEN SF), and Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP, the plaintiffs seek to ensure justice and uphold human rights. They adamantly condemn the administration’s policies, affirming that the acts of courthouse arrests and the substandard detention conditions not only violate the law but also violate basic human dignity and constitutional principles.