The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday maintained a Los Angeles federal judge's ruling that prevents federal immigration agents from detaining someone based on their spoken language or line of work.

The appeals court said a portion of U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong's July 11 temporary restraining order that included the language "except as permitted by law" was not specific enough, according to NBC News.

"Defendants, however, are not likely to succeed on their remaining arguments," the court determined.

The restraining order was issued after a lawsuit was filed by individuals claiming they had been detained by immigration officers without a valid reason.