Federal Judge Fines DHS for Contempt Over Immigration Agent Cell Phone Data
A federal judge in California has held the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in contempt for failing to comply with an order to digitally copy communications from personal cell phones used by immigration agents during 2025 operations in the Los…
Houston, TX, August 5, 2026 —
A federal judge in California has found the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in contempt of court for failing to comply with a prior order. The order mandated the digital copying of communications from personal cell phones utilized by immigration agents during operations in the Los Angeles area in 2025.
As a consequence of this non-compliance, the judge has imposed a daily fine of $500 on the DHS. This fine will continue to accrue until the department adheres to the court’s directive. Additionally, DHS has been ordered to reimburse the plaintiffs’ attorneys for their legal costs associated with this matter.
The legal team representing the immigrants contends that the communications contained on these personal cell phones may serve as crucial evidence. Specifically, they argue the data could shed light on allegations of racial profiling by federal agents during the aforementioned 2025 operations in the Los Angeles area. The specific nature of the communications sought and the exact scope of the 2025 operations were not detailed.
Story summarized from the original created by AP on apnews.com, see more information here.
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