Ramirez Ovando, et al. v. Noem, et al.

The ACLU of Colorado filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration to enjoin ICE from conducting warrantless arrests in Colorado without probable cause that the person is a flight risk and in the country without proper legal documentation. On November 25, 2025, a federal judge found ICE had unlawfully arrested each of the named plaintiffs, certified a class of similarly situated individuals, and enjoined ICE from arresting anyone in Colorado without a warrant without first making the probable cause findings required by law.

Since the beginning of 2025, to meet the arbitrary demands of the new administration, federal immigration agents have been escalating their enforcement activity across Colorado. Often wearing masks, body armor, and carrying lethal weapons, ICE agents have been terrorizing communities, indiscriminately stopping and arresting people who are simply trying to go about their lives. In a lawsuit filed October 9, 2025, the ACLU of Colorado and cooperating counsel from the Meyer Law Office and Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray, LLC, argue that these practices violate the law. The lawsuit alleges that ICE’s ramped-up enforcement relies on the unlawful practice of arresting people without warrants and without the individualized probable cause determinations that have been required by federal statute for 80 years.

ICE agents cannot lawfully arrest someone without a warrant unless they have probable cause to believe the individual is in the United States in violation of immigration law and “likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest.” According to the lawsuit, ICE agents in Colorado are ignoring these requirements and violating federal law.

Plaintiffs and their families have all experienced incredible trauma because of ICE’s illegal practices. Mr. Ramirez Ovando has lived in the United States for 20 years, has U.S. citizen children, and is an important member of his church community. ICE agents pulled him over on his way to work and immediately detained him even though they admitted they were searching for someone else at the time of his arrest. Ms. Dias Goncalves is a nursing student at the University of Utah, whose story was in the news after she was pulled over by a Mesa County Sheriff’s Officer who illegally aided ICE in her unwarranted arrest. J.S.T. has been living in Colorado for 15 years, and ICE arrested him at his apartment complex while he was trying to go to work, where he has been employed for ten years. G.R.R. has been living in the U.S. for over 10 years; he was arrested by ICE in a raid of a nightclub where he had been waiting as a designated driver to pick up his friend. In each of these cases, ICE had no warrant for the person’s arrest and conducted no inquiry to evaluate whether they posed a risk of flight. Yet agents immediately took them into custody, violating federal law and causing profound injury to Plaintiffs, their families, and their larger communities.

These are just some of the stories of people who have been illegally taken by ICE throughout Colorado. The agents’ unlawful tactics are causing fear to spread across the state.

The class-wide preliminary injunction requires ICE to stop its illegal, deeply harmful behavior across the state.

Recent updates:

On January 21, 2026, in response to notice that Defendants intended to move to dismiss the case on grounds the judge had already rejected, the Court entered an order “strongly discourag[ing]” that effort. Should Defendants elect to seek dismissal anyway, briefing on that motion will be complete by February 20, 2026. On January 23, 2026, Defendants filed a notice of appeal of the Court’s preliminary injunction and class certification order.

The preliminary injunction remains in full force and effect.

"Federal Judge in Colorado Declares ICE Practice of Warrantless Arrests Illegal," CBS News, November 25, 2025.

"Court Demands End to Unjustified Warrantless Arrests, Restricting a Tool ICE Frequently Uses to Detain Immigrants CPR News, November 25, 2025.

"Judge Orders ICE Agents in Colorado to Stop Illegal Arrets 'Pattern,'" The Denver Post, November 25, 2025.

"Federal Judge Hears Arguments That Colorado ICE Agents Are Illegally Detaining People," CPR News, October 30, 2025.

"Denver’s Top ICE Official Says He Was Reassigned to Virginia," The Denver Post, October 30, 2025.

"Federal Judge 'Dumbfounded' at Government's Rejection of Enforceable Order Holding ICE to Its Own Policy," Colorado Politics, October 24, 2025.

"ACLU Sues Trump Administration Over ICE Arrests in Colorado," The Denver Gazette, October 9, 2025.

"Colorado Immigrants' Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration, ICE over alleged warrantless arrests," CBS News, October 9, 2025.

"Colorado Lawsuit Challenges Legal Basis of Many ICE Arrests of Immigrants This Year," The Denver Post, October 9, 2025.

"Colorado ACLU, Migrant Advocates Sue Trump Admin Over ICE Arrests," The Hill, October 9, 2025.

"ACLU of Colorado Claims ICE Is Making Illegal Arrests in New Lawsuit," Denver 7, October 9, 2025.

"ACLU, Colorado Law Firms Sue ICE to Stop 'Indiscriminate' Arrests and Detentions," The Colorado Sun, October 9, 2025.