BOSTON — The Greater Boston Latino Network and the Brazilian Worker Center sued the Trump administration Friday, seeking to block what they call ICE warrantless home raids under a newly disclosed immigration enforcement directive. The complaint says a May 2025 memo from acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons authorizes agents to enter homes without a judge-signed warrant, violating the Fourth Amendment and federal rulemaking requirements, Jan. 30, 2026.
Filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the suit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as defendants and asks a judge to halt the policy and set the memo aside. Lawyers for Civil Rights said in a case summary that the directive departs from long-standing constitutional limits and the agency’s own regulations.
Reuters reported the filing is the first case to directly challenge the policy, which surfaced publicly last week after a whistleblower complaint. The memo advises agents they can rely on Form I-205 — an administrative “warrant of removal” signed inside DHS — instead of seeking a warrant issued by a federal judge.
In describing the guidance, The Associated Press reported that the memo frames the administrative document as sufficient authority for certain home arrests, including potential use of force. Brooke Simone, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the Fourth Amendment “exists precisely to prevent government agents from breaking into people’s homes without any judicial process or oversight.”
Homeland Security has defended the approach in prior public statements, saying people served with administrative warrants “have had full due process and a final order of removal from an immigration judge.” The policy shift has also changed the practical advice immigrant families receive; PBS NewsHour noted in an explainer that “don’t open the door” may no longer be a complete shield if agents claim authority to enter under the new guidance.
What the lawsuit says about ICE warrantless home raids
The lawsuit argues administrative warrants are not the same as warrants approved by a neutral judge and should not be treated as a substitute for judicial oversight at the threshold of a home. It asks the court to declare the policy unlawful and to bar ICE warrantless home raids carried out solely on the basis of Form I-205.
The plaintiffs also say the directive has forced them to divert staff time and resources into emergency community education, including rewriting “know your rights” materials that historically emphasized that officers generally need a judge’s warrant or consent to enter a residence. They contend fear of ICE warrantless home raids is already reshaping daily decisions in immigrant communities, from opening the door to seeking help after an enforcement encounter.
A longer history of disputes over ICE warrantless home raids
Legal fights over ICE warrantless home raids and related tactics have been building for years. In 2018, KUER reported the ACLU sued after a heavily armed team raided a Utah family’s home without a warrant, according to the complaint in that case.
In 2020, NBC Los Angeles reported on a separate lawsuit alleging agents conducted warrantless searches by impersonating local police during home encounters. And in 2022, the ACLU of Illinois said a settlement in litigation over raids and arrests required policy changes and training tied to warrantless enforcement claims.
The Boston lawsuit asks the court to block the new directive nationwide, arguing that treating internal paperwork as a stand-in for a judge’s approval invites ICE warrantless home raids and erodes a constitutional line at the front door. The government has not yet filed its response, and the judge could be asked to consider emergency relief as the case moves forward.
