Valley Immigration-Raid Case Dismissed

An immigration case sparked by the raid of Van Nuys-based Micro Solutions Enterprises by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has been dismissed after a judge found one of the accused had not been informed of his rights, and had been treated with unwarranted harshness during an 18-hour period. “We’re very pleased that the rights of the Van Nuys workers were vindicated,” Ahilan Arulanantham, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California told the Los Angeles Times. “The decision sends a message to ICE that it cannot disregard the rights of the people that it targets.” In fact, Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor said the federal agency did not adhere to its own rules, and executed the raid without reasonable suspicion. Last February, agents flooded the Van Nuys facility of Micro Solutions in what witnesses on the scene described as a “military-style operation,” arresting more than 140 people,mostly for alleged immigration violations. Micro Solutions officials had no immediate comment about the case’s dismissal, which centered on one of the arrested workers. Other cases may be ongoing, and ICE attorneys plan to appeal the decision. However, legal experts agree the decision is a major blow to ICE in regard to its likelihood of winning convictions against others arrested at the Valley company. Thom Senzee