LatinoJustice Supports CASA Lawsuit Challenging Warrantless Detention of Latinos and Immigrants in Washington, DC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2025
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LatinoJustice Supports CASA Lawsuit Challenging Warrantless Detention of Latinos and Immigrants in Washington, DC
New York, NY – The Latino civil rights organization LatinoJustice PRLDEF reacted to a class action lawsuit brought today for the Latino and immigrant rights organization CASA and four Latino people who live in DC that challenges warrantless detentions without probable cause by immigration enforcement officials.
The case, Escobar Molina v. US Department of Homeland Security, challenges ICE’s racial profiling of Latinos in the District of Columbia. The lead plaintiff, José Escobar Molina, who has had legal status in the United States for twenty-four years, was abducted on the streets of DC in August 2025 by officers who asked no questions at all but simply seized and handcuffed him, then kept him locked up overnight before realizing their mistake and releasing him. The complaint documents additional acts of appalling racial profiling by ICE officers.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed a lawsuit in July 2025 demanding information on ICE policies targeting Puerto Ricans and Latinos for immigration detention.
The following statement can be attributed to Lourdes Rosado, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF:
“LatinoJustice stands with CASA and Latino residents in DC against abusive racial profiling practices by immigration officers that must be stopped.
“In Los Angeles, Chicago, the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, we have seen ICE targeting Latinos for detention and arrest based solely on their race. This illegally sweeps up Latinos with valid immigration status, such as one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who has valid immigration status for over 20 years but ICE illegally detained him overnight.
"This is an urgent issue that LatinoJustice and others are addressing through litigation and advocacy, and we support the efforts of CASA and allies on similar cases around the country. We will not allow racial profiling to be normalized as permission to violate the rights of anyone in this country.”
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For over 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org