What the Halt on Warrantless Border Patrol Sweeps Means for CA
5/28/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
Border Patrol barred from sweeping parts of California.
A judge restricted Border Patrol from making warrantless stops and arrests in a large part of California, following a lawsuit over a controversial sweep in Kern County. The ruling is a major step in protecting Fourth Amendment rights while the case proceeds.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
What the Halt on Warrantless Border Patrol Sweeps Means for CA
5/28/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
A judge restricted Border Patrol from making warrantless stops and arrests in a large part of California, following a lawsuit over a controversial sweep in Kern County. The ruling is a major step in protecting Fourth Amendment rights while the case proceeds.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSergio Olmos: In April, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction forbidding Border Patrol from conducting warrantless immigration stops through a wide swath of California.
The ruling came in response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed after the El Centro Border Patrol traveled to Kern County to conduct a three-day sweep in January, detaining day laborers outside a convenience store and along the highways between orchards.
The ruling prohibits Border Patrol agents from taking similar actions, restricting them from stopping people unless they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in violation of US immigration law.
It also bars agents from carrying out warrantless arrests unless they have probable cause that the person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of the United Farm Workers, arguing that the stops violated the Fourth Amendment.
The judge has not decided on the totality of the case, but granted the ACLU's motion to stop the Border Patrol from conducting similar operations while the case move through the courts.
The Border Patrol attorneys didn't offer evidence of their own to dispute the evidence presented by the ACLU, including stopping people based on their race and warrantless arrests.
The injunction is in effect in the jurisdiction of California's Eastern District, which spans the Central Valley from Redding to Bakersfield.
After the January sweep, the man who led it, Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino, said his agents specifically targeted people with criminal and immigration histories.
However, a CalMatters investigation revealed that the Border Patrol had no criminal or immigration history on 77 of the 78 people it arrested.
The injunction also compels the El Centro sector to provide proof within 90 days, and every 30 days thereafter, that agents involved in these operations had been trained on these rules.
ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Bree Bernwanger called the ruling a powerful reminder that law enforcement agents, including immigration, cannot stop you, detain you, because of the color of your skin.
For CalMatters, I'm Sergio Olmos, with additional reporting by Wendy Fry.
Photography by Kevin Clancy, Evident Media.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal