A federal judge in Colorado has limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' authority to arrest illegal immigrants without a warrant to only those who pose an obvious flight risk, Fox News reported. The lawsuit is yet another attempt to limit what President Donald Trump's administration can do in its crackdown on illegal immigration.
The ruling from U.S. District Senior Judge R. Brooke Jackson came on Tuesday. The judge said that current federal law stipulates that immigration officials must have reason to believe that a person is in the U.S. illegally and that the suspect is likely to flee before a warrant can be issued.
The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado. The activist group joined attorneys representing four people who were arrested by ICE despite having no warrant issued against them when they were detained during a sweeping immigration crackdown.
Some of those were allegedly asylum seekers, and the lawsuit claims that the agents targeted Latinos without regard for their immigration status. The judge claimed that the plaintiffs in the case each had strong ties to their communities and were well-established, and therefore could not be deemed flight risks.
As Trump tries to get the illegal immigration problem under control, leftist forces are stacked against him and his administration. Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said Jackson engaged in an "activist ruling" against the agency.
"Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in 'racial profiling' are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE," McLaughlin said in a statement. This is not the first time for such a ruling, as another case in California was similarly decided against the administration.
That court ruled that agents were not allowed to target people based on language, race, location, job, or other factors, after agents had been conducting random stops. In September, the Supreme Court rolled back that restraining order imposed in California, and McLaughlin sees the same happening.
"The Supreme Court recently vindicated us on this question elsewhere, and we look forward to further vindication in this case as well," McLaughlin said. There has been no formal announcement that the administration will appeal, but DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has never been one to back down.
While the left attacks ICE's mission in the courts, the rhetoric thrown against the men and women who do the job has become increasingly more hostile. Noem believes this has led to an increase in violence against the agents, and she's not about to leave any stone unturned in making sure they stay safe.
In a post to X on Monday, Noem shared the dire statistics about the impact of those who smear ICE agents and make accusations against them. "Over the past 10 months, Democrat politicians have compared ICE to Nazis, the Gestapo, and slave patrols, fueling a 1,153% increase in assaults," Noem wrote.
"From January 21, 2025, through November 21, 2025, there have been 238 reported assaults against ICE law enforcement. There were only 19 during the same period last year. President Trump and I will always stand with the men and women of @ICEgov who risk their lives every single day to arrest the worst of the worst," Noem pledged.
Over the past 10 months, Democrat politicians have compared ICE to Nazis, the Gestapo, and slave patrols, fueling a 1,153% increase in assaults.
From January 21, 2025, through November 21, 2025, there have been 238 reported assaults against ICE law enforcement. There were only…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 24, 2025
On Wednesday, it became clear that it was more than just the ICE agents who were putting their lives at risk to make America safer while the left actively works against them. According to the Associated Press, two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington, D.C., steps from the White House, where they have been sent to clean up crime. Trump pledged 500 more troops to help.
Government agents must balance the rights of the accused with the need to do their jobs. However, these attacks against law enforcement and especially ICE agents, whether in the form of several court cases and even physical violence, jeopardize their mission and make Americans less safe.
