In a legal challenge that underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Border Patrol, spearheaded by the legal expertise of Keker, Van Nest & Peters and the American Civil Liberties Union. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, accuses Border Patrol agents of engaging in unconstitutional acts during “Operation Return to Sender,” a week-long operation conducted in January in Kern County, California. Allegations in the suit state that agents conducted an extensive “fishing expedition” whereby scores of individuals—including U.S. citizens—were indiscriminately targeted based purely on racial profiling.
According to the legal filing, the operation involved agents stopping and holding residents without cause, coercing waivers of their rights to judicial proceedings. This legal action originated as part of a broader response by the United Farm Workers and other allied plaintiffs. The case, as reported by The Recorder, contends that the actions during this operation were not only excessive but violated fundamental constitutional protections.