A new federal class-action lawsuit out of Los Angeles says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is locking up and deporting noncitizen survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other serious crimes, even while they are pursuing survivor-based immigration relief. Attorneys argue that ICE’s 2025 guidance scrapped long-standing, victim-centered practices, and they say the shift is already pushing some survivors out of the United States while their applications are still pending. The case is before a federal judge in the Central District of California, where plaintiffs are asking the court to stop the challenged practices.
Filed in October 2025, the suit brings together individual survivors and advocacy organizations. It names Kristi Noem in her official capacity as Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as defendants. According to the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, the complaint targets ICE guidance issued in 2025 that plaintiffs say allows routine detention and removal of people with pending U, T, or VAWA-based filings.
One of the named plaintiffs, Yessenia Ruano, told ABC7 that she, her husband, and their U.S.-citizen twin daughters felt forced to “self-deport” to El Salvador after ICE threatened her with removal during what had been a routine check-in. Ruano says she had a pending T-visa application at the time. Her account appears in the lawsuit and in public statements from the plaintiffs’ legal team.
Why U and T visas matter
T nonimmigrant status generally requires that applicants be physically present in the United States, a rule that plaintiffs say makes deportation before a decision especially devastating for trafficking survivors. According to USCIS, T status is directly tied to presence in the country. U visas, designed to protect crime victims who help law enforcement, are subject to a 10,000-per-year cap and a crushing backlog, with analyses indicating approvals can take more than 15 years. A recent Human Rights Watch review describes how those multi-year waits undermine victim safety and cooperation with police.
What plaintiffs are asking
Plaintiffs have asked the court to certify nationwide classes and to issue a preliminary injunction that would put the 2025 guidance on hold while the case plays out. The complaint and case docket indicate they are seeking several forms of relief: court declarations that the policy is unlawful, release of detained class members, and orders allowing people removed under the guidance to return to the United States to complete their immigration petitions. The filings are publicly accessible through the case docket and the complaint itself.
What the government says
Plaintiffs identify ICE’s January 2025 guidance as the key policy shift, while the agency links that guidance to an executive order calling for broader immigration enforcement. As outlined by plaintiffs’ counsel at the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, the document rolled back earlier practices that generally shielded survivors from routine enforcement. In court, Department of Homeland Security attorneys have argued that applications can still be processed even if an applicant is removed, a position plaintiffs say ignores statutory requirements about eligibility and physical presence.
Local policing and reporting concerns
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told ABC7 it is “deeply concerned” that fear of immigration enforcement could deter victims from reporting crimes or working with investigators. The Los Angeles Police Department declined to comment on the federal lawsuit, according to the same local report.
What to watch next
Federal court records show that motions for class certification and for a preliminary injunction are moving through the Central District of California. Attorneys say Judge André Birotte Jr. could decide whether to temporarily halt the challenged practices while the case proceeds. If a preliminary injunction is granted, ICE would be barred from applying the 2025 guidance to members of the certified classes while the litigation continues. Advocates say the outcome will help determine whether immigrant survivors feel safe turning to law enforcement and victim services in Los Angeles and across the country.
