Supreme Court Allows 'Roving' ICE Raids In Los Angeles To Continue

The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on immigration sweeps in Southern California, allowing federal agents to resume aggressive street raids. The decision overturns a lower court ruling that had prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. This ruling permits immigration agents to conduct "roving patrols" and profile individuals in Los Angeles and Southern California, the epicenter of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign.

The Supreme Court's decision, made by a 6-3 majority, supports the Trump administration's stance that federal immigration officers can briefly detain and interrogate individuals about their legal status in the U.S. The court agreed that agents could rely on a "totality of circumstances" standard for reasonable suspicion, which includes factors such as the high number of illegal immigrants in the area and the types of jobs they often hold. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in his opinion that while ethnicity alone cannot provide reasonable suspicion, it can be considered alongside other factors.

The case was handled through the Supreme Court's emergency docket, known as the shadow docket, which allows for expedited decisions with limited briefing and typically no oral argument. The decision has sparked dissent, particularly from the three justices appointed by Democratic presidents, who criticized the use of the emergency docket for such significant rulings. Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed concern that the decision allows the government to target individuals based on race and appearance.

The ruling has significant implications, not only for Los Angeles but across the country, as it enables the resumption of immigration raids that had been halted by previous court orders. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have opposed the raids, arguing that they violate constitutional rights by allowing racial profiling. Despite these concerns, the Trump administration argued that the restrictions interfered with efforts to enforce immigration laws effectively.

The decision marks the latest in a series of Supreme Court rulings favoring the Trump administration's immigration policies. The ruling is expected to lead to increased immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles and potentially other cities across the United States.