Los Angeles County sheriff’s office sued over immigration holds
Rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit on Friday against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, accusing it of unlawfully detaining immigrants at the behest of the federal government for days beyond when they should have been released. The suit highlights the detention of a British filmmaker and legal immigrant, Duncan Roy, who spent 89 days in jail because of an erroneous federal immigration hold that left him unable to post bail, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The lawsuit is the latest effort by rights groups to turn California into a so-called sanctuary state that protects unauthorized immigrants. That is in stark contrast to states such as Arizona that are engaged in crackdowns on illegal immigration which have sparked fears of racial profiling. An immigration hold is a request by the federal government that they would like someone to remain in custody so they can seek deportation.