By Redacción
redaccion@latinocc.com
The Supreme Court on Monday lifted a lower court order that had restricted immigration raids in Los Angeles, clearing the way for federal agents to resume large-scale operations as the legal battle continues in lower courts.
In a 6-3 decision, the court’s conservative majority blocked an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong, who had concluded that immigration patrols were making indiscriminate arrests based on physical appearance, language, occupation, or neighborhood. The ruling marks another victory for President Donald Trump’s administration in its push to harden immigration enforcement nationwide.
The court did not provide a detailed explanation, as is common in the emergency docket. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, wrote that the restrictions placed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would “inevitably chill law enforcement efforts.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the other two liberal justices, issued a sharp dissent.
“Countless people in Los Angeles have been thrown to the ground and handcuffed simply for their appearance, accent, or manual labor,” she wrote. “Today, the Court exposes many more to those same indignities.”
The ruling comes as ICE intensifies operations in the nation’s capital under Trump’s strategy of federalizing law enforcement and deploying the National Guard.
Testimonies and Criticism in California
The case was brought by immigrant advocacy groups who accuse Trump’s government of discriminatory practices. Among the plaintiffs were three immigrants who were detained and two U.S. citizens, including Brian Gavidia, a Los Angeles resident caught on video being slammed against a fence and shouting: “I was born here in the States. East LA, bro!” before being released after showing his identification.
Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said the ruling sends a troubling message. “The Court’s majority makes clear that nonwhite workers are targets, giving Trump a green light to trample on basic constitutional rights,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security said more than 5,200 arrests have been made in the region since June 6 and vowed to “keep flooding the area.” Recent raids include one outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles, where agents jumped out of a rented truck to arrest several workers.
Political Reactions
Democratic leaders in California condemned the decision. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city would not use municipal resources to assist in the raids. “This is not just an attack on the people of Los Angeles, it is an attack on every city in this country,” she said.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the inconsistency of the ruling: “They prohibit the use of race to combat discrimination in college admissions, yet allow it to justify detaining people.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that the decision gives agents “free rein to detain even citizens and children, deliberately harming California families and small businesses.”
Plaintiff Pedro Vásquez Perdomo, who was detained without a warrant, said the ruling leaves him without protection.
“They treated me like I didn’t matter — locked up, hungry, and without a lawyer. Now, the Court says that’s okay. That’s not justice, it’s racism with a badge.”
The case’s main hearing is scheduled for Sept. 24 in California, where a judge will weigh whether ICE’s practices violate the Constitution.
