California judge’s ruling on warrantless migrant arrests sows confusion

Published April 30, 2025 6:40pm ET



A California federal judge’s ruling on the scope of the Trump administration‘s ability to conduct warrantless arrests for illegal immigrants fueled outrage and confusion online and among lawmakers and pundits, though its actual scope is more limited than initially thought.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued a preliminary injunction Monday restricting Border Patrol agents in California’s eastern district in stopping and arresting suspected illegal immigrants.

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