LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief (PDF) supporting plaintiffs in Perdomo et al. v. Noem et al, demanding an immediate halt to unlawful immigration sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit challenges the Trump administration’s use of aggressive, militarized raids that have inflicted widespread fear and trauma in both immigrant and non-immigrant communities.
These federal actions don’t just push the limits of authority — they bulldoze through constitutional rights, disrupt public safety, and erode the rule of law. What’s happening in Los Angeles is not enforcement — it’s a campaign of intimidation carried out by masked, unmarked agents operating with impunity.
“This isn’t law and order — it’s intimidation and abuse of power,” Nessel said. “We will not stay silent while federal agencies trample on constitutional protections and terrorize our communities.”
Nessel warned that Michigan isn’t immune: “Allowing these tactics in Los Angeles sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent – one that could easily be replicated here. ICE raids have already shaken Michigan communities. When masked, heavily armed federal agents roam neighborhoods without identification or cause, they don’t protect anyone — they create chaos. I stand with my colleagues in confronting these unlawful practices before they become business as usual.”
President Donald Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations is now playing out in real time. Modeled after Eisenhower-era operations that resulted in the arrest and deportation of hundreds of thousands — including U.S. citizens — these current sweeps involve masked federal agents stopping people without reasonable suspicion, based solely on race or location. These actions have made people afraid to leave their homes and have already led to American citizens being wrongfully detained, and legal immigrants arrested while attending legally mandated court hearings
The plaintiffs argue that ICE and CBP are engaging in unconstitutional stops based on racial profiling rather than individualized suspicion. The coalition of attorneys general supports the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order, citing multiple public interest concerns:
- Unlawful stops by CBP and ICE are damaging local economies, public health systems, and community well-being.
- Tactics such as using masks and failing to identify themselves as federal agents are obstructing local law enforcement and endangering public safety.
Attorney General Nessel is joined in the filing by her counterparts from California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
