Federal immigration agents allegedly used racial slurs to refer to Latinos while conducting enforcement operations in Los Angeles last summer, according to body camera footage and text messages included in recent court filings. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California presented the evidence as part of a motion for a preliminary injunction.

The ACLU seeks to halt what they describe as a pattern of race-based profiling by federal agents during immigration enforcement actions, particularly those associated with the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. The filings aim to demonstrate that stops and detentions were often based on ethnicity rather than legitimate enforcement needs.

One video released in court filings captured an agent saying, "Yeah, just plug us in wherever you see some tonks and we'll jump out." The term "tonk" is described as a derogatory slur used by agents, allegedly referring to the sound of an immigrant's head being struck. Another video featured an agent commenting, "There was a guy, I'm pretty sure he's wet," using a term alleged to be a shortened slur for Latinos, in reference to someone observed in a minivan.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, when asked about the alleged use of slurs and whether it violates policy, stated that agents are "focused on protecting the American people -- not entertaining performative outrage." The spokesperson also questioned the media's focus, asking, "Where is the media's outrage for Angel families who lost a loved one to illegal alien crime?"

The lawsuit, filed last year by the ACLU on behalf of several individuals including U.S. citizens, alleges that agents in the Central District of California stopped, questioned, and detained people without justification. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong had previously issued a temporary restraining order against stops based solely on race, though the Supreme Court later lifted these restrictions.

Mayra Joachim, deputy director of immigrants' rights at ACLU SoCal, stated that the new court documents "should shock the conscience." She added that the "evidence gathered from the government has confirmed what our communities have known all along: immigration officers are flagrantly violating the law by detaining people without justification and often primarily because of the color of their skin."

In addition to the body camera footage, ACLU attorneys submitted text message exchanges between agents. One message reportedly read, "Some of these people are stupid. Why would you post on social media that you're wet." Another agent is quoted as saying, "Btw tonks everywhere selling food for the 4th festivities in long beach right now."

The legal challenge and the release of this evidence raise significant questions about the conduct of federal immigration agents and the potential for racial bias in immigration enforcement operations. The ACLU's motion seeks to establish a pattern of misconduct and obtain a court order to prevent future violations.