The county’s top judge accused ICE of weakening the justice system and discouraging people from going to court altogether after immigration authorities grabbed a man outside the county courthouse Thursday night, sparking a legal maelstrom in downtown Los Angeles.
The dramatic detention took place only a few steps from the courthouse entrance, according to The Los Angeles Times. At least four immigration officers are seen on camera yelling for assistance as a guy, later identified as 38-year-old Steven Reyes, is lifted by his arms and legs and driven toward an unmarked truck. Please, can you get me? Reyes yelled, then called out his name to the astonished onlookers.
Although none were captured on camera, witnesses can be heard requesting to see the agents’ identification or a warrant. Local news teams captured the scene, which immediately infuriated public defenders, attorneys, and the court of Los Angeles County.
According to reports, Reyes was present at a preliminary hearing about drug charges related to an arrest that occurred last month. ICE agents moved in shortly after they left the courthouse. The government has not yet responded to inquiries regarding whether stings outside courthouses are a component of a larger enforcement plan, and it is still unclear how and why he was targeted.
The location of the arrest was just as disturbing to many members of the legal profession as the actual arrest. Defense lawyer and former public defender Lou Shapiro stated, “We’re seeing it on the ground level.” Because they are terrified, some are just not attending their court date. They had the opportunity to complete their case, showing progress on their community service, but instead they went to Mexico. They are afraid, even if they are attempting to act morally.
FINAL NIGHT IN D.C.
D.C. police quickly received assistance from ICE and its federal colleagues in bringing order back to the nation’s capital.OEukKDy8yg pic.twitter.com/
August 13, 2025, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov)
Court officials say that dread might spread throughout the system. The presiding justice of LA County issued a stern statement denouncing the act, saying, “I am deeply disturbed.” These needless and frightening demonstrations erode public confidence in the legal system, discourage people from pursuing justice, and send a harmful message to immigrant communities.
Reyes’s attorney, the Alternate Public Defender’s Office, went even farther, characterizing the agents as a group of largely anonymous, disguised people and calling the arrest “shocking to the conscience.” The statement cautioned that such combative strategies deter participation and jeopardize the integrity of the legal system.
@RealDeanCainpic.twitter.com/DSXycdW6SP https://t.co/3c7b0Ry86A
August 9, 2025, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov)
The LA County District Attorney’s Office also voiced their opinion, stating that they were unaware of the ICE operation beforehand and had no involvement in it. The office of DA Nathan Hawkman cautioned that the action might make it more difficult to prosecute cases. According to a spokeswoman, there will be instances where victims believe their tale is unfinished and that justice has not been done.
Concerns have been raised that the practice may be more widespread than the public recognizes, as this is at least the second occasion in recent memory that federal officials have been seen making an arrest outside a Los Angeles courthouse.
The optics of masked federal officers removing someone from the courthouse steps sends a clear signal—not the one that court officials want—to already tense immigrant neighborhoods. According to one public defender, some will not appear in court at all if they believe that doing so will result in their deportation. Everyone then loses out on justice.
