A federal judge in Los Angeles ordered the release of Pasadena day laborer Isaac Villegas Thursday, April 23, after he was arrested and detained by federal agents last week for the second time — an action his supporters called “illegal” and retaliatory after his involvement in a class-action lawsuit challenging immigration raids in L.A.
Despite the favorable ruling, Villegas was still being held at the Adelanto Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon, according to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Williams issued the temporary restraining order, forcing the government to swiftly release Villegas, after his April 16 arrest.
“Petitioner may not be removed from the Central District of California pending further order of the Court,” she ordered Thursday. “Respondents (the government) are cautioned that sanctions may be imposed if Respondents take any action impairing Petitioner’s ability to obtain complete relief.”
While it was a victory for Villegas and his supporters, reactions sounded a note of caution.
“We welcome this swift and much-needed relief for Isaac, which is a testament to the blatant illegality of the government’s actions,” said Lauren Michel Wilfong, a lawyer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, in a statement. “ICE must now immediately release Isaac without further delay.
Wilfong said ICE’s actions show that Villegas was targeted because he spoke out about ICE’s abuses, “and to prevent an unfavorable court order finding that Isaac’s first arrest was unlawful. ICE acts with impunity because they believe they can get away with it. We say no more.”
Villegas was arrested by agents during a check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as required for his participation in the Alternative to Detentions Program.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Villegas was arrested because of “multiple violations” — including missing required check-ins — during his supervised release on bond after he was first arrested and detained by ICE agents last June.
“This criminal illegal alien has a rap sheet that includes felonies for forgery and fraud, and a misdemeanor for driving under the influence,” according to the department’s email response last week.
Villegas’ immigration lawyer, Stacy Tolchin, disputed this explanation, saying at a press conference last week that Villegas had done “everything required of him.”
She also stated he was not given a warrant or explanation at the time of his arrest.
Viillegas’ arrest last week came just a week before his scheduled court appearance in front of a federal judge challenging the legality of his first arrest, which took place last year during a summer of large-scale federal immigration sweeps throughout Southern California.
Originally set for April 24, ICE filed a notice that would cancel Villegas’ court hearing based on his renewed detention.
On June 18, 2025, federal immigration agents arrested and detained Villegas and other day laborers at a bus stop in Pasadena during a “roving patrol” operation. The following month, an immigration judge ordered the release of Villegas on a $5,000 bond.
The same month Villegas was released, ACLU SoCal and other lawyers filed a federal class-action lawsuit in L.A. Federal Court on behalf of Villegas and his fellow detainees.
For a time, a federal district ruling, backed by a federal appeals court opinion, paused such arrests, before the U.S. Supreme Court allowed ICE agents to continue their operations.
Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin has since become closely a followed lawsuit challenging the ICE raids in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges federal immigration agents of stopping individuals based on racial profiling.
Villegas’ supporters believe Villegas is the subject of retaliation for his participation as a plaintiff in that case.
Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union SoCal, said last week’s arrest violated Villegas’ First and Fifth Amendment rights “in what appears to be retaliation for speaking out against the Department of Homeland Security.”
Immediately upon his arrest last week, Tolchin filed a habeas petition in federal court challenging his arrest and detainment followed by a filing for a temporary restraining order demanding his immediate release.
Federal government’s lawyers did not challenge the application, according to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
“Isaac was unlawfully arrested a second time due to his bravery in speaking out for the rights of immigrants and for the rights of all of us. Today’s decision from the district court shows the importance of the rule of law,” said Tolchin.