The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles can continue, overturning a federal judge’s order that had barred agents from making stops without “reasonable suspicion.”
The 6-3 conservative-majority decision handed a victory to President Donald Trump, who has pledged record-level deportations of undocumented migrants. The ruling allows federal agents to stop suspects based on race, language, or type of work while a broader legal challenge to the LA raids proceeds through the courts.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, argued that the lower court’s restrictions went too far in limiting ICE’s authority. “Apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion,” he wrote, “however, it can be a ‘relevant factor’ when considered along with other salient factors.”
The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor warning the ruling jeopardizes constitutional rights. “Countless people in the Los Angeles area have been grabbed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed simply because of their looks, their accents, and the fact they make a living by doing manual labour,” she wrote. “Today, the Court needlessly subjects countless more to these exact same indignities.”
The White House welcomed the ruling, vowing to continue arresting and deporting “criminal illegal aliens.” But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the decision “dangerous and un-American,” while California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that “Trump’s private police force now has a green light to come after your family.”
The decision lifted a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong, who previously found “mountains of evidence” that the raids violated the Constitution by relying on race, language, or job type to justify stops. Immigration advocates said agents conducted “roving patrols” without cause and denied detainees access to lawyers.
Supporters of the raids argue agents are targeting people based on immigration status, not race. The Department of Homeland Security said Judge Frimpong’s order wrongly restricted ICE operations.
Civil rights groups condemned the ruling. Brian Gavidia, an American citizen briefly detained in June, said: “I thought we had laws here about racial profiling.” Armando Gudino, a plaintiff in the case and head of the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, warned that the decision effectively “legalised racism” and could have nationwide consequences.
The Trump administration launched the raids in June, targeting Home Depot and other workplaces, sparking mass protests and civil unrest. Trump then deployed nearly 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles without California’s authorization—a move a federal judge later ruled illegal.
The administration has already expanded federal deployments to Washington, D.C., and Trump has signaled he may next send forces to Chicago.
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