A federal judge in Denver has certified a lawsuit challenging the city’s homeless sweeps as a class action, a decision that potentially includes thousands of homeless as plaintiffs, Jason Flores-Williams, a lawyer for the homeless said on Thursday.

“By granting class certification, the federal court recognized that the City of Denver has a policy focused on homeless persons,” said Flores-Williams. “A policy that many believe to be an immoral, unjust and unconstitutional war on the poor.”

U.S. Judge William J. Martinez certified the lawsuit, which was filed last September in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Flores-Williams filed the suit on behalf of nine homeless men and a woman living in Denver and sought the class action status.

The suit claims that sweeps in which the personal property of homeless people is confiscated and summarily destroyed violates the Constitutional rights of the homeless.