California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a coalition of states in support of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and United Farm Workers against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials following a multi-day immigration enforcement operation last year.
“Operation Return to Sender” took place in Kern County in early January, resulting in the arrest of 78 people. The ACLU soon after filed a lawsuit on behalf of UFW and five individuals affected by the raids, asking a judge to stop Border Patrol from continuing to conduct patrols of predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Kern County. Bonta led an 18-state coalition last month in formally supporting the lawsuit.
“These unlawful stops and warrantless arrests have, unfortunately, become a familiar story for communities in California this past year,” said Bonta in a statement. “The unscrupulous tactics used by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and his team of agents during raids in Kern County, Los Angeles and across the nation threaten the basic civil liberties afforded to all who call this country home. I urge the court to block these lawless practices and help protect California communities.”…