Anti-ICE TikTok user crackdown fails as judge dismisses case due to lack of lawyer access in immigration detention

A federal judge has dismissed a criminal case against [a person], citing constitutional violations after his lawyers were denied access to him while he was in [a place].

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin issued a ruling dismissing an indictment against Carlitos Ricardo Parias, who is well – known for documenting police and immigration enforcement activity online. Olguin wrote that Parias’s rights were violated when federal authorities repeatedly failed to allow his criminal defense lawyers to visit or talk with him in immigration detention so that he could prepare for his trial this week. He also added that the dismissal was with prejudice, which means the government cannot refile the same charges against him again.

“In brief, the government’s failure to coordinate the overlapping actions of its different agencies while persistently pursuing Mr. Parias’s criminal proceedings led to a situation where constitutional violations could — and did — take place,” Olguin wrote.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles stated in a press release that the agency is assessing its options for an appeal. “We firmly disagree with the court’s interpretation of the facts and its legal conclusions,” the statement said.

Parias was indicted last month and pleaded not guilty to the charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and damaging government property.

The charges originated from an [incident] in which federal authorities claimed that Parias rammed his vehicle into theirs when they attempted to arrest him on an immigration warrant and shot him in the elbow. According to the government’s online database, Parias was released on bond pending his trial and taken to an immigration detention facility in Adelanto, California, where he still was on Monday. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility is approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles and is operated by [an organization].

U.S. authorities assert that Parias is a Mexican citizen living in the country illegally. A message asking for a comment was left for immigration attorney Carlos Jurado.

Parias is well – known in South Los Angeles for his Spanish – language videos posted on TikTok on two accounts with a combined total of more than 340,000 followers. The videos on his page dating back to 2024 document police activity, car accidents, and fires, as well as tortilla – making and rainy days in Los Angeles. This year, the footage has also centered on demonstrations against immigration enforcement and arrests by federal deportation authorities.

Parias is one of many social media users who post about immigration raids and arrests across Southern California, often relaying information in real – time to alert community members. He was initially hospitalized after being shot during his arrest in October.