California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed the state's 100th lawsuit against the federal government since President Trump took office for a second time in 2025. This legal action targets U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices at state courthouses, alleging that the agency has overstepped its Constitutional limits by taking people into custody on courthouse grounds.
The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 16 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, contends that ICE continues these enforcement activities despite a specific order from a U.S. District Court judge prohibiting them. The state's filing cites evidence that ICE's courthouse detentions persisted even after this judicial directive.
The California Justice Department documented several instances of these detentions. For example, in June 2026, the department found that ICE detained 34 individuals at state courthouses. In the subsequent month, July 2026, after the judicial order was in place, ICE detained 28 people at courthouses.
Attorney General Bonta's office reached the milestone of 100 lawsuits in just 21 months since the current federal administration began its second term. For comparison, during the first Trump administration, California officials filed a total of 123 lawsuits against the federal government over four years, indicating a sustained and frequent pattern of legal disputes between the state and federal government.
The California Justice Department stated in a news release that ICE's policy on courthouse enforcement and the resulting activities have created a "profound chilling effect." This, the department argues, has hindered California's capacity to enforce its laws and protect public safety within its communities. The concern extends to the fundamental functioning of the state's justice system.
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero previously highlighted the negative impact of these practices. Last year, she stated that making courthouses a focus of immigration enforcement "hinders, rather than helps, the administration of justice." Chief Justice Guerrero explained that such actions deter both witnesses and victims from coming forward and discourage individuals from asserting their legal rights, thereby impeding the fair and effective operation of the courts.
In a related development, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a measure into law in September aimed at regulating federal immigration enforcement near state judicial facilities. This new law requires federal immigration agents to present a judicial warrant and identify themselves before making arrests within 1,000 feet of a state courthouse. This legislative action reflects the state's efforts to establish clear guidelines for federal agents operating in areas critical to the administration of justice and public trust.
