Court Case Settlement Prohibits ICE Cops from Falsely Identifying Themselves as Local or State Police Officers

Pursuant to a court settlement approved today in Kidd v. Noem, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are prohibited from identifying as state or local law enforcement and cannot engage in ruses that misrepresent their governmental identity or purpose.  

U.S. District Court Judge Otis D. Wright II reviewed the settlement as part of a class action lawsuit challenging the agency’s home arrest practices in Los Angeles and the surrounding region. The lawsuit was filed in 2020, on behalf of an individual, Osny Sorto-Vazquez Kidd, and two community organizations that represent the class, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ) and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). 

“Our vibrant communities are built on trust. This settlement makes clear immigration officers are not above the Constitution and will be held accountable for their deceptive practices,” said Diana Sanchez, staff attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. “We’ll be monitoring to ensure ICE does not violate the rights of our community members.”  

The settlement prohibits ICE officers from using deceptive ruses to enter a home or when asking a resident to exit their home. This includes identifying themselves as state or local law enforcement (e.g., LAPD), probation, parole, detectives, or any other non-federal governmental agency. It also will prohibit ICE officers from falsely stating they are conducting a criminal investigation or looking for someone else, conducting a probation or parole check, claiming there is a safety or legal problem with a person’s vehicle, or misrepresenting that their purpose involves danger to a resident or public safety.