North Carolinians expand lawsuit against DHS immigration practices

Residents of North Carolina have expanded a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking a preliminary injunction to halt immigration enforcement practices they claim violate federal law.

The amended complaint specifically challenges the practice of federal agents stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion of unlawful presence. It also continues to contest warrantless immigration arrests that allegedly lack the probable cause required by federal legislation.

Initially filed in February by five individuals, including U.S. citizens and a person lawfully present in the country, the lawsuit has now added Fernando Vazquez Orea, a U.S. citizen born in Raleigh, as a plaintiff. The plaintiffs argue that immigration enforcement activity in North Carolina is ongoing and escalating.

Legal representation for the plaintiffs includes Democracy Forward, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of North Carolina, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ).