Firm says agents arrived without warrant, threatened forced entry
A Sacramento immigration law firm is alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visited its office without a search warrant, threatened to break in and targeted the practice based on a list of addresses tied to people the agents were seeking.
Employees at the Morris Law Group, which represents immigrants including asylum seekers and crime victims, told the firm’s principal attorney that ICE officers arrived in unmarked vehicles — some lacking license plates and with dark-tinted windows — and were armed. Staff said an agent displayed a U.S. Department of Homeland Security badge inside the lobby but did not present a warrant.
- Agents allegedly said they had a list from Washington, D.C., with the firm’s address identified as clients’ mailing address.
- Firm staff told the agents they could not enter without a warrant.
- According to the firm, an agent told staff he did not want to return at 3 a.m. and break in to look for people if the firm did not cooperate.
Attorney raises concern about targeting and tactics
Attorney Raissa Morris, who heads the Morris Law Group, said she was not at the office during the encounter but received a call from staff reporting the visit. Morris said agents appeared to be looking for specific clients but had mistaken the firm’s mailing address for those clients’ residential address.
“They told my staff they have a list from Washington, D.C., with my address as my clients' mailing address, and they were looking for certain clients,” Morris said. “They assumed my clients were living in my office?”
Morris said the firm provides a safe mailing address for clients who are legally allowed to use it, including people seeking asylum and crime victims. She said the nature of the firm’s immigration work may have made it a target.
Morris also expressed alarm about what she described as aggressive enforcement tactics under the current administration. “Under the current administration, we've seen them breaking into places. We've seen them detain U.S. citizens. Killing; there's been deaths, right?” she said.
Legal and community implications in Sacramento
Local immigration attorneys and advocates say warrantless visits to law offices, if confirmed, raise serious questions about access to counsel, attorney-client confidentiality and the safety of immigrant communities that rely on legal service providers.
Immigration law practices commonly offer a mailing address option for clients who cannot safely receive mail at a residential address. Advocates warn that misinterpreting those addresses as residential locations could expose clients and service providers to enforcement actions that chill access to legal help.
| Claim | Reported details |
|---|---|
| Vehicles | Unmarked cars; some without license plates; dark-tinted windows |
| Authority shown | U.S. Department of Homeland Security badge in lobby |
| Warrant | No warrant presented, staff told agents they could not enter without one |
| Alleged threat | Agent said he might return at 3 a.m. and break in if denied access |
What officials and local community members may watch for next
At this stage, the account comes from the firm and its staff; the Morris Law Group says its concern stems from a pattern of enforcement behavior it views as troubling. Sacramento residents and advocacy groups will likely seek clarification from ICE and other federal or local oversight bodies about the circumstances of the visit, whether agents had lawful authority to enter, and whether firm or client rights were violated.
The situation could prompt calls for:
- Formal inquiries into the actions of ICE officers in Sacramento;
- Clearer safeguards for legal service providers and the confidentiality of client information; and
- Community outreach to ensure immigrant residents understand their rights and avenues for legal representation.
For now, the Morris Law Group is urging scrutiny of the tactics it says were used and reaffirming the role of legal service providers in the Sacramento immigrant community. The incident underscores tensions between enforcement operations and access to counsel that local leaders, advocates and residents may continue to debate.
