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In a closely watched 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with the Trump administration, overturning a lower court order that had restricted federal immigration agents from conducting broad street sweeps in Southern California.
The decision reinstates the ability of U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to stop and question individuals based on “reasonable suspicion” of illegal presence, potentially encompassing factors like speaking Spanish, working in certain low-wage jobs, or appearing Latino.
This move is seen as a major win for President Donald Trump, paving the way for his pledged “largest Mass Deportation Operation” in U.S. history.
The case originated from aggressive immigration operations launched in Los Angeles earlier this year, where agents targeted areas with high concentrations of Latino workers, such as car washes, landscaping sites, and day labor pickup spots.
Civil rights groups and local governments challenged these tactics, arguing they violated the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The Rise of ‘Roving Patrols’ in Southern California
The controversy began in early June when the Trump administration intensified enforcement in the Los Angeles region, deploying federal agents for what officials described as targeted operations against undocumented immigrants.
However, reports emerged of chaotic arrests, including the detention of legal residents and U.S. citizens.
One notable incident involved agents emerging from a Penske moving truck to apprehend workers at a Westlake Home Depot parking lot, even after lower courts had issued restrictions.
A coalition of plaintiffs, including three immigrants and two U.S. citizens, filed suit in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on July 11, prohibiting stops based solely on race, ethnicity, language, location, or employment.
The order applied to a seven-county area covering nearly 20 million people, where roughly half the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino and many speak languages other than English at home.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the order on July 28, rejecting the government’s claim that plaintiffs lacked standing due to unlikely future arrests.
The panel noted repeated stops in the same locations, including one plaintiff detained twice in 10 days, as evidence of an ongoing threat.
The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the restrictions caused “irreparable injury” to federal enforcement efforts.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer emphasized that “reasonable suspicion is a low bar” and agents could consider the “totality of the circumstances,” including the high prevalence of undocumented individuals in the Central District of California—estimated at 1 in 10 residents.
Sauer also contended that factors like occupation in industries drawing many undocumented workers provided sufficient grounds for stops.
Local governments, including Los Angeles and 20 other municipalities, opposed the appeal, warning that the criteria could apply to half the region’s population, effectively authorizing widespread profiling.
The Supreme Court’s Ruling and Key Opinions
The high court’s majority granted the emergency stay without a full opinion, but Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh issued a concurrence clarifying the legal framework.
He referenced federal law allowing immigration officers to “briefly detain” individuals for questioning based on “reasonable suspicion” derived from “specific articulable facts.”
Kavanaugh stressed that such stops have been a longstanding tool in U.S. immigration enforcement across administrations.
However, Kavanaugh added a caveat: “To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion; under this Court’s case law regarding immigration stops, however, it can be a ‘relevant factor’ when considered along with other salient factors.”
He noted that forceful stops might invite further scrutiny.
The three liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—dissented sharply.
Justice Sotomayor, writing for the minority, decried the ruling as a “grave misuse of our emergency docket.”
She argued: “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job.”
Sotomayor highlighted the human cost, stating, “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 labor.
Today, the Court needlessly subjects countless more to these exact same indignities.”
Implications for Trump’s Immigration Agenda
This ruling bolsters President Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, which have included deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles amid protests.
Advocates fear it will escalate raids, potentially leading to more mistaken detentions of citizens and legal residents, as seen in cases like that of Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen captured on video during a sweep but released after proving his status.
Immigrant rights groups, who urged the court not to intervene, described the operations as an “unconstitutional pattern” that officials have vowed to continue.
The decision freezes the lower court order pending further proceedings, with hearings for a preliminary injunction scheduled later this month.
Critics argue the tactics amount to racial profiling, with Judge Frimpong previously citing a “mountain of evidence” of constitutional violations.
The Trump administration maintains that agents focus on illegal presence, not race, and that the restrictions were overly broad.
Broader Context and Reactions
The Los Angeles area, home to about 10 million Latinos, has become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate.
The ruling affects counties including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
Legal experts suggest this could set precedents for similar operations nationwide, especially as Trump pushes for expanded deportations.
The case’s ongoing nature means more challenges are likely, potentially reaching the Supreme Court again on the merits.
Reactions poured in quickly.
Civil liberties organizations condemned the decision, while supporters hailed it as essential for border security.
U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, who has led operations in the region, was photographed marching with agents in downtown Los Angeles last month.
Also Read: ICE is Now Recruiting Teens and Seniors in ‘Desperate Attempt’
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