Campos v. US (ICE observer retaliation)
San Jose community leader Yesenia Campos has filed a federal lawsuit against the United States and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, alleging that the ICE agent unlawfully targeted, assaulted, arrested, and — in front of her child — detained her in retaliation for lawfully observing and recording an ICE operation. She is represented by Just Futures Law attorneys Julie Mao and Amanda Carlin and attorney EmilyRose Johns.
ICE observation plays a critical role in promoting transparency and accountability around ICE enforcement. Community members have a First Amendment right and a California state constitution right to observe and document government activity. Particularly during the past year, video recordings by community members have exposed the brutality of ICE operations under the Trump administration and debunked the deadly use of force justifications of ICE agents.
Additionally, the recordings critically help identify individuals detained by ICE for attorneys and loved ones, connect impacted families with legal resources, and ensure communities have access to information about enforcement actions taking place around them.This lawsuit seeks accountability for the brutal violence that ICE has unleashed on immigrants and community members who dare to exercise their constitutional rights to observe, document, and expose this brutality.
The lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California and seeks damages.