A class action lawsuit has been filed in New York alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security are arresting and detaining immigrants based on race or ethnicity. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, April 8, was brought by a coalition including the New York American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Make the Road New York, and the Legal Aid Society on behalf of eight immigrants in federal court. It alleges that many individuals in New York have been detained without probable cause or reasonable suspicion, solely based on their appearance, language, or ethnic identity.
The plaintiffs describe several incidents in which individuals were detained under questionable circumstances. These include a 41-year-old Latino man arrested while playing dominoes on Staten Island, a 36-year-old Hispanic man detained while entering his apartment building in Brooklyn, and a 24-year-old CUNY graduate arrested while heading to the Long Island Rail Road in Hempstead. All three individuals were later released following emergency legal interventions.
Attorneys representing the human rights organizations argue that racial profiling under immigration enforcement has increased significantly, creating fear and anxiety within New York’s immigrant communities. In response, the Department of Homeland Security has denied the allegations, stating that arrests are made only based on reasonable suspicion and that claims of racial profiling are “completely false.”
The lawsuit cites reporting by THE CITY, which found that nearly 800 New Yorkers were detained by ICE between October and March, many of whom were not the intended targets of enforcement actions. According to the report, 85 percent of those detained had no prior criminal record.
The report also notes that following a 2025 Supreme Court interpretation, immigration authorities have been permitted to consider factors such as language, appearance, and employment status as part of reasonable suspicion. Critics say this has intensified controversy surrounding street-level arrests conducted by ICE.
