Senate Calls for Probe After ICE Visits Sacramento Immigration Law Firm

In mid-August, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrived at the Morris Law Group office in North Natomas, Sacramento, and remained in the parking lot for more than forty minutes. Employees reported that an ICE agent claimed to have a list from Washington, D.C., indicating people lived at the address and asked to tour the office for “beds.” The agents were denied entry after they failed to produce a judicial warrant. The agent allegedly warned that officers could return at night and break windows if they received further orders.

Sacramento Bee

U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE requesting a formal investigation into the operation. The senators described the incident as “troubling and unsatisfactory” and argued that the conduct reflects a broader effort by the administration to intimidate immigrant communities and the attorneys who represent them. They asked for details on the purpose of the mid-August operation, why no warrant was secured, which ICE field office led the effort, and the origin of the alleged Washington list. The senators also sought assurances that ICE would not return to the firm under threat of forced entry.

Sacramento Bee

DHS has issued three written statements about the incident. All versions acknowledge that ICE officers arrived at a “target address” for individuals they intended to arrest, claim the agents were unaware the location was a law firm, and state that the officers left after learning of the firm’s identity. The statements differ on specific details, but none mention a warrant or the alleged list.

Sacramento Bee

California Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking communications and records related to the agents and agencies involved in the operation. Krell’s request adds pressure for transparency and aligns with the senators’ call for answers.

Sacramento Bee

The senators have set a deadline for responses by mid-September, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations. They indicated that the investigation will focus on whether ICE personnel acted outside Fourth-Amendment requirements and on the provenance of the Washington list. Further legislative scrutiny may follow depending on the agencies’ replies.

Sacramento Bee