The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday defended its policy of having Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrest people at their immigration court hearings after a class-action lawsuit was filed that seeks to stop the practice.

Federal immigration officers have detained 2,792 undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area since June, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Officials didn’t specify in which counties or cities the arrests occurred.

The lawsuit alleges ICE enforcement at courthouses instills "palpable fear" and prevents people from attending their immigration hearings.