The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Friday, asks for a decisive legal opinion affirming citizens do not need to carry proof of citizenship on them at all times.
A coalition of Harris County residents, the vast majority of them of Hispanic descent, is suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an effort to stop immigration raids in the Houston area.
In a federal lawsuit filed on Friday, 34 individuals sued DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, asking for "a declaration from this Court, stating that United States citizens are not required to carry with them proof of citizenship while within the United States."
Representatives from DHS and ICE did not immediately return a request for comment.
The lawsuit claims the federal government's immigration raids violate the Constitution's Fourth and Fifth Amendments, which protect people from unwanted searches and seizures, and provides due process, respectively.
At a press conference at the Harris County Democratic Party (HDCP) Headquarters, elected officials sought to rally behind a class action lawsuit.
"We have to draw a line," said HDCP Unidos Committee Chair Raed Gonzalez, who is representing each of the plaintiffs in the case. "U.S. citizens are not required to carry proof of citizenship. Many, many U.S. citizens ... rarely have proof of citizenship, and that is a problem."
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia demanded Noem be removed from office. She, alongside nearly 200 U.S. House Democrats, signed on to legislation that would impeach Noem.
Newly elected Congressman Christian Menefee previously told Houston Public Media he believes Noem should be impeached.
"ICE's lawlessness must come to an end, and it’s going to be up to Congress to do something about it," Menefee said in Friday's press conference. "My colleagues across the Democratic caucus made clear that we will not be funding a DHS that allows ICE to terrorize our communities, but it is time for the action to go even further."