The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily lifted restrictions that had prevented the Trump administration from conducting broad immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. In a 6-3 decision split along ideological lines, the Court paused a lower court ruling that limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from targeting people based on language, location, or job type. Critics called these tactics “roving sweeps,” as agents reportedly stopped individuals at places like Home Depot and car washes, relying on racial and ethnic stereotypes.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh supported the decision, arguing it was acceptable to briefly question individuals who matched certain “common sense” signs of undocumented status, such as not speaking English or working in day labor.
However, the Court’s three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the ruling could lead to unlawful targeting of people simply for looking Latino or speaking Spanish.
The case originated with U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who found ICE practices likely unconstitutional and barred officers from making arrests without reasonable suspicion. She ruled that relying on factors like accent, ethnicity, and type of employment was not legally sufficient to justify detainment. Her decision sought to protect individuals from being unfairly targeted based on stereotypes.
The Trump administration appealed Frimpong’s ruling, and while the 9th Circuit Court upheld most of her decision, the Supreme Court has now frozen those limits while the broader case proceeds. The emergency ruling allows ICE to resume more aggressive tactics during the legal review process, despite ongoing legal challenges.
This decision comes amid broader tensions over Trump’s immigration policies in California, including controversial National Guard deployments in defiance of state opposition. On the same day, the Supreme Court also allowed Trump to move forward with removing FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, signaling a broader shift in favor of expanding presidential authority over independent federal agencies.
