---
title: "Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong Blocks Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Southern California"
publication: "MediaBias News"
url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout"
api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout"
markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout.md"
audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout"
category: "Politics"
area: "United States"
published: "2026-09-17T03:46:54.073Z"
source_reported: "2026-09-17T02:58:54.000Z"
updated: "2026-09-17T03:46:54.073Z"
trust_score: 42
critic_score: 61
hype_score: 20
assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis"
fact_check_status: "not-performed"
coverage_measured: "2026-09-17T03:45:11.775185+00:00"
---

# Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong Blocks Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Southern California

*A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring immigration officers to assess escape risk before making arrests without a warrant.*

**Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): 

- Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named judge and the ACLU, and the full report is from AP.
- Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. The full report includes quotes from the judge and attorneys, and details the legal arguments and context.
- Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is factual and directly reports on the court's decision and its implications.

Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology.

**The short version**

- U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a preliminary injunction halting immigration officers from making warrantless arrests in Southern California.
- The order requires officers to determine if an individual is likely to escape before making an arrest without a warrant.
- The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles immigrant advocacy groups.
- The ruling applies to the Central District of California, encompassing seven counties.

U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong has issued a preliminary injunction that restricts immigration officers from conducting warrantless arrests in Southern California. The order, granted on September 2 and unsealed on Wednesday, mandates that officers must assess the likelihood of an individual escaping before proceeding with an arrest without a warrant. This assessment must consider the totality of circumstances known to the agent or officer.

The lawsuit that led to this injunction was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles-based immigrant advocacy groups. The injunction applies to the Central District of California, which includes the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Judge Frimpong denied the government's request to delay the order.

## Disagreement on documentation requirements

Washington Top News reported that Frimpong ordered the government to thoroughly document the probable cause leading to an arrest before a warrant could be obtained, stating that the mere fact of being in the country illegally is insufficient for a warrantless arrest. In contrast, a federal attorney cited by Washington Top News, Daniel Mummolo, stated there is no statutory requirement to document such assessments, and that different officers handle things differently. He referenced a memo from former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons that allowed officers to make an 'on-the-spot' determination about escape likelihood. Frimpong responded to this by saying the government had not presented evidence of officers stating they performed the assessment without writing it down.

## Omissions

None of the right-rated digests mention the specific details about documenting probable cause or the government attorney Daniel Mummolo's statement regarding the lack of a statutory requirement to document escape risk assessments. The right-rated digests also do not include the specific names of all the plaintiffs' attorneys or the previous temporary restraining order that was lifted by the Supreme Court.

## Who covered it

Shares of the 27 covering outlets with a published leaning rating:

- Left: 52% (14)
- Centre: 41% (11)
- Right: 7% (2)

6 of 33 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-17T03:45:11.775185+00:00.

**Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-17T04:45:06.846Z.

## How the sides framed it

### Left

- Nine of the 13 left-rated reports focused on the core ruling that federal judges have blocked immigration officers from making warrantless arrests in Southern California unless they determine the person is likely to escape. These reports highlighted the preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. Several mentioned the lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of Southern California and Los Angeles immigrant advocacy groups. The Seattle Times, The Independent, Associated Press News, The Independent (US), The Sun Chronicle, Bangor Daily News, and Palo Alto Online all used similar phrasing to describe the judge's order. Cal Matters stated the judge ruled federal immigration agents likely violated the Constitution by not assessing flight risk.

### Centre

- Eleven of the 12 centre-rated reports highlighted the restriction on warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California. These reports, including digests from Washington Top News, My Mother Lode, WBAL, The Standard-Journal, WPLG, WKMG, MyNewsLA.com, KESQ, Danville San Ramon, The Record, and Winnipeg Free Press, stated that a federal judge blocked immigration officers from making such arrests unless they determined the person was likely to escape. Washington Top News, as the only full report, provided more detail on the judge's reasoning, including the requirement for documentation and the consideration of the 'totality of the circumstances'. It also noted the lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles immigrant advocacy groups.

### Right

- The two right-rated reports, Clarin and Madison Courier, both stated that a federal judge banned or blocked immigration arrests without a warrant in Southern California, except for the risk of escape. Clarin mentioned the order followed an ACLU lawsuit and seeks to stop detentions based solely on immigration status, demanding an escape likelihood assessment. Madison Courier used phrasing similar to many other outlets, stating the order follows a lawsuit by the ACLU of Southern California.

**Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding.

## Factuality profile of the covering outlets

These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true.

- mixed: 2
- high: 13
- unknown: 6
- veryHigh: 12

## Verification scope

This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true.

## Original reporting this was written from

- [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/state/11146155/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Clarin](https://clarin.com/estados-unidos/jueza-federal-restringe-arrestos-migratorios-sin-orden-judicial-en-el-sur-de-california_0_4yXEBNjrxY.html) — Federal Judge Restricts Migration Arrests Without Court Order in Southern California · Global Voices
- [Independent Español](https://independentespanol.com/noticias/eeuu/jueza-federal-restringe-arrestos-migratorios-sin-orden-judicial-en-el-sur-de-california-b3051608.html) — Federal Judge Restricts Migration Arrests Without Court Order in Southern California · Global Voices
- [NewsFinale](https://newsfinale.com/local-news/judge-curbs-warrantless-immigration-arrests-across-southern-california) — Judge Curbs Warrantless Immigration Arrests Across Southern California
- [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/09/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California – WTOP News
- [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_13cc32c2-a0be-5f6c-b4d9-f257440487ea.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [WBAL](https://wbal.com/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern Ca
- [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/southern-california-los-angeles-brett-kavanaugh-santa-barbara-ventura-b3051604.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-raids-los-angeles-warrantless-arrests-c42d27c45d9ce7b859590e48242b9d18) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/southern-california-los-angeles-brett-kavanaugh-santa-barbara-ventura-b3051604.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [The Standard-Journal](https://standard-journal.com/ap/national/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_bd7eb441-2b04-578e-b7e0-aec0cba529f9.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Madison Courier](https://madisoncourier.com/ap/news/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_129f924b-cc16-54c7-99af-96b6c75a7398.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [The Sun Chronicle](https://thesunchronicle.com/news/nation_world/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_9a2f4567-2320-5f18-bc8e-0e008a2b5001.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [WPLG](https://local10.com/news/national/2026/09/16/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/national/2026/09/17/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/09/16/nation/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [MyNewsLA.com](https://mynewsla.com/crime/2026/09/16/la-judge-blocks-feds-from-carrying-out-warrantless-arrests-in-socal) — LA Judge Blocks Feds from Carrying Out Warrantless Arrests in SoCal
- [KESQ](https://kesq.com/news/california/2026/09/16/la-judge-blocks-feds-from-carrying-out-warrantless-arrests-in-socal) — LA judge blocks feds from carrying out warrantless arrests in SoCal
- [Cal Matters](https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/09/la-immigration-raids-warrantless-arrests-ruling) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [Palo Alto Online](https://paloaltoonline.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [Danville San Ramon](https://danvillesanramon.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [Mountain View Voice](https://mv-voice.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [Redwood City Pulse](https://rwcpulse.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [pleasantonweekly.com](https://pleasantonweekly.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [The Almanac](https://almanacnews.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [livermorevine.com](https://livermorevine.com/calmatters/2026/09/16/judge-immigration-agents-must-stop-the-way-theyre-conducting-warrantless-arrests) — Judge: Immigration agents must stop the way they’re conducting warrantless arrests
- [Daily Kos](https://dailykos.com/stories/2026/9/16/800099265/community/breaking-federal-court-blocks-unlawful-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Breaking: Federal Court Blocks Unlawful Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Southern California
- [Los Angeles Times](https://latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-16/southern-california-federal-judge-immigration-arrest-warrant-order) — Federal judge limits immigration arrests without a warrant in Southern California
- [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_ab8faf2d-013e-5ba9-9c4d-b8313440efb7.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/world/united-states/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california/article_b333e582-8c02-52a7-b405-5d5ec20aafa6.html) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/09/16/federal-judge-restricts-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-southern-california) — Federal judge restricts warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California
- [Spectrum Local News](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/california/politics/2026/09/17/la-judge-blocks-feds-from-carrying-out-warrantless-arrests-in-socal) — LA judge blocks feds from carrying out warrantless arrests in SoCal

## Questions

**What did the judge order regarding immigration arrests?**

U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a preliminary injunction blocking immigration officers in Southern California from making arrests without a warrant unless they determine the person is likely to escape. The order requires officers to consider the totality of circumstances known to them.

**Who filed the lawsuit that led to this ruling?**

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles immigrant advocacy groups. These organizations argued against warrantless arrests made without assessing the likelihood of escape.

**Which areas does the judge's order cover?**

The preliminary injunction applies to the Central District of California. This includes seven counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.

---

MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong Blocks Warrantless Immigration Arrests in Southern California", https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-maame-ewusi-mensah-frimpong-blocks-warrantless-immigration-arrests-in-sout