The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a lower court order that restricted immigration agents from conducting indiscriminate stops in Los Angeles, handing the Trump administration another victory on its aggressive immigration agenda.
In a 6-3 ruling, the Court’s conservative majority struck down an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong, who had cited a “mountain of evidence” that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) patrols were stopping people based solely on race, language, occupation, or location. That order had protected nearly 20 million people in the region, almost half of whom identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing in concurrence, argued that the lower court had overstepped, warning that judicial oversight could “chill lawful immigration enforcement efforts.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by two liberal colleagues, issued a blistering dissent, warning that the decision erodes constitutional freedoms. “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,” she wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security reported more than 5,200 arrests in Los Angeles since June, praising its commander Gregory Bovino and vowing to “FLOOD THE ZONE” after the ruling. The administration has deployed National Guard units and Marines to assist in enforcement operations, which have included raids at car washes, tow yards, and Home Depot parking lots.
Civil rights advocates warn the ruling legitimizes racial profiling. Chris Newman of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network said the decision gives a “stamp of approval for Trump to trample bedrock constitutional rights.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the ruling as “disturbing,” pointing to the contradiction of banning race in college admissions while allowing it in immigration stops.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include both immigrants and U.S. citizens. Among them is Los Angeles resident Brian Gavidia, who was filmed in June being seized and pressed against a fence despite shouting: “I was born here in the States. East L.A., bro!” He was released after 20 minutes upon showing his ID.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the decision, saying it gives ICE broad license to disrupt families and businesses. “This ruling opens the door to indiscriminate harassment of Californians, including U.S. citizens,” he said.
The case will continue in California courts, but the Supreme Court’s intervention means immigration raids in Los Angeles are set to intensify, with national implications as the Trump administration pursues mass deportations.