Judge Slams Border Patrol Over Unlawful Arrests in Home Depot Lot

A federal judge in California has issued a critical ruling against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, accusing the agency of defying a prior court order against warrantless arrests.

Judge Jennifer Thurston, appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden, had previously ordered that federal agents need probable cause of a flight risk to conduct such arrests. The judge determined that immigration enforcement actions in a Sacramento Home Depot parking lot in July 2025 breached her order.

Thurston's decision comes amidst widespread criticism of the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies, which rights groups argue infringe on due process and free speech rights while fostering an unsafe environment for minorities.