Federal Judge Rules CBP Violated Warrantless Arrest Order During Sacramento Immigration Sweep

A federal judge in California has found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials violated a prior court order when they conducted a warrantless immigration sweep at a Sacramento Home Depot parking lot. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston, a Biden-era appointee, originally issued the order in April 2024, prohibiting federal agents from making warrantless arrests without first establishing probable cause that an individual posed a flight risk.

According to court records released Wednesday, Judge Thurston determined that border agents breached this directive during a July 2025 enforcement action at the Sacramento Home Depot location. The judge noted that agents submitted 11 "virtually identical" detention forms, suggesting that individualized assessments — as required by law — were not conducted. After reviewing the full record, including video footage of the operation, Thurston concluded that individuals were detained without reasonable suspicion.

"Congress requires agents to consider whether a noncitizen poses a flight risk or danger to the community before making a warrantless arrest. Rather than follow Congress' mandate, agents arrested everyone who could not establish citizenship," Judge Thurston stated in her ruling. As a result, she ordered all agents operating within the Eastern District of California to properly document their justification for any future immigration stops.

The ruling comes amid the Trump administration's aggressive nationwide immigration enforcement campaign, which critics — including numerous human rights organizations — argue violates due process rights and fosters racial profiling against ethnic minorities. Advocates warn the crackdown has created a climate of fear in immigrant communities across the country.

The Trump administration, however, maintains that its immigration policies are essential for curbing illegal entry and strengthening national security. Legal challenges to these enforcement actions continue to mount in courts across the United States.