Supreme Court Upholds Immigration Raids in Los Angeles

Tue Oct 21 2025 23:23:20 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a controversial ruling, the Supreme Court has allowed immigration raids in Los Angeles to continue, overriding a federal injunction that required 'reasonable suspicion' for stops.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that immigration raids in Los Angeles can continue, supporting the Trump administration's aggressive deportation strategy. The 6-3 decision allows immigration agents to stop individuals based on perceived race or language, raising concerns about constitutional rights. Dissenting justices argue the ruling undermines personal freedoms, while local officials call it un-American. This ruling follows extensive legal challenges and protests against the administration's immigration policies.

The US Supreme Court has ruled sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles can continue for now, lifting a federal judge's order that had barred agents from making stops without reasonable suspicion.

The Monday ruling is a win for President Donald Trump, who has vowed to conduct record-level deportations of migrants in the country illegally.

The 6-3 decision of the conservative-majority court allows agents to stop suspects based solely on their race, language or job, while a legal challenge to the recent immigration sweeps in LA works its way through the courts.

The liberal justices dissented, saying the decision puts constitutional freedoms at risk.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in Monday's decision that the lower court's restraining order went too far in restricting how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could carry out stops or questioning of suspected unlawful migrants.

To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion, he wrote. However, it can be a 'relevant factor' when considered along with other salient factors.

The Supreme Court's three liberal justices issued a strong dissent penned by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote that 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 labour.

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass criticized the ruling, calling it not only dangerous but un-American, and stated that it threatens personal freedom in the U.S.

The decision came in response to a temporary restraining order issued by US District Judge Maame E. Frimpong, who asserted that the raids violated the Constitution, according to a "mountain of evidence."

Despite this, the court's ruling restores discretion to ICE, which has been under scrutiny for conducting stops based solely on individuals' race or presence at specific locations.

The Trump administration began these immigration raids in Los Angeles in June, leading to widespread protests and civil unrest in the community.