At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On September 17, 2026, a court order became public that limits how immigration officers may arrest someone without a warrant across seven Southern California counties.
Headlines have suggested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “can no longer make arrests” in Los Angeles. Here is what is known, what is not, and what you can do.
What did the judge actually order?
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong granted a preliminary injunction on September 2, 2026, which was unsealed on September 17. According to the Associated Press, officers must weigh the totality of the circumstances known to them to decide whether a person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.
That last point is the heart of it. Federal law allows a warrantless immigration arrest only when there is probable cause of an immigration violation and a likelihood of flight before a warrant can be secured. Those are two separate requirements, not one idea stated twice.
The judge found substantial record evidence that these assessments were being made based only on unlawful status, on false assertions, or not at all. In one documented instance, a person walking normally while checking a phone was described as running away.
Two documents that sound alike are worth separating. An administrative warrant (Form I-200) is signed by an ICE supervisor and does not authorize entry into your home. A judicial warrant is signed by a judge, names a court, and can.
Who does the order cover?
It applies in California’s Central District: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. The case was brought by the ACLU of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles community organizations.
This is not the only such ruling. Federal judges have imposed comparable limits in Portland, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and California’s Eastern District. There is also history the other way: in September 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an earlier order by the same judge in this litigation.
The government asked to pause the injunction while it appeals, and the judge refused. So the order is in force today, but it remains preliminary and could change on appeal.
Does this mean ICE can no longer arrest you?
No, and this is where most of the confusion sits.
- It does not legalize anyone: the order governs how arrests are made, not who can be removed. Your immigration status is unchanged by it.
- It does not cancel prior orders: a removal order already issued by an immigration judge remains in effect.
- It does not stop every arrest: an arrest with a judicial warrant, or one where the officer does document flight risk, is still possible.
- It does not automatically end a case: asking an immigration court to exclude improperly obtained evidence is possible in serious cases, but it is neither automatic nor guaranteed.
What it does give you is a concrete legal argument. If you were arrested without a warrant in those counties and no one assessed whether you would flee, that detail may matter to your defense. An attorney has to review it case by case.
What should you do now?
- Write down what happened: date, time, place, how many officers, whether they showed a document and whether it said “warrant” and carried a judge’s signature. Video recorded from a safe distance matters.
- Keep copies of your documents: work permit, USCIS receipts, court notices. Leave copies with someone you trust.
- Update your address: if you have an open case, address changes must be filed with the immigration court and with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 10 days.
- Make a family plan: who picks up the children, who has the phone numbers, where the paperwork is kept.
- Talk to an attorney before signing: never sign what you do not understand, and never accept voluntary departure without legal advice.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
A favorable court order is not a substitute for a legal strategy. What decides your case is how the events are documented and which defenses your history makes available. At Campos Law Firm, we review every file with that lens: what went wrong in the arrest, what protections apply to you, and which deadlines cannot be missed. We do not make unrealistic promises. We provide serious legal representation backed by preparation and integrity.
Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
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