LULAC DEMANDS IMMEDIATE PROBE INTO REPORTS OF ICE HOLDING IMMIGRANTS INSIDE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN LOS ANGELES

Nation's Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Calls the Reported Detention of Families Inside a Courthouse a Human Rights Outrage

LOS ANGELES, CA — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is issuing a national alert and demanding an immediate federal investigation into alarming reports that as many as 200 individuals, including men, women, and potentially children, have been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

According to sources from within the courthouse and legal representatives of some detainees, those held are awaiting decisions from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals but remain under ICE custody within the very halls of the federal judiciary. Eyewitness accounts describe inhumane overcrowding, with individuals being detained in rooms throughout the building and even in outdoor tents erected due to lack of space. There are unconfirmed but deeply troubling reports that children may be among those detained alongside their parents.

"This is beyond unacceptable — it is unconscionable," said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. "The notion that our federal courthouse — a place that symbolizes the pursuit of justice — is now being used as a de facto detention facility under ICE authority, is an affront to every value our nation is supposed to uphold. We are demanding answers: Who is being held, who is holding them, and under what legal justification? We must not allow the courthouse to become a cage."

LULAC urgently calls for a full and immediate investigation by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General. Also, an ICE and federal court officials' accounting explains these detentions' legal basis and circumstances. Plus, a halt to any deportation actions until due process is fully afforded to every individual in custody, as well as oversight by members of Congress, particularly the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

"It is inconceivable that in the United States of America, a nation that claims to value the rule of law, we are seeing such blatant disregard for due process, civil rights, and human dignity," continued Palomares. "These are individuals whose last hope rests with the U.S. judicial system. Instead, they are being detained in the very place they came to for justice. This violates our own Constitution and international human rights standards."

LULAC urges every American to join in raising their voice to demand an end to this dangerous and shameful misuse of our justice system. The League will not rest until those responsible for this human rights abuse are held accountable and every person being detained receives the fair and just treatment that every human being deserves — regardless of where they were born.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education. With a growing network of councils nationwide, LULAC remains steadfast in its mission to protect and empower millions of Latinos, contributing daily to America's prosperity. For more information about LULAC and its initiatives, please visit www.LULAC.org.