US Supreme Court clears way for Trump's immigration raids in California

The US Supreme Court backed Trump’s immigration enforcement on Monday, allowing federal agents to continue raids that stop and detain people in Southern California without showing “reasonable suspicion,” a practice critics say disproportionately targets Latinos. The court issued a brief, unsigned order without explanation, while the three liberal justices sharply dissented.

The ruling affects seven counties around Los Angeles, where ICE agents have conducted patrols pulling aside people—including US citizens, based on perceived immigration status. Critics argue these operations rely on race, ethnicity, or language, raising Fourth Amendment concerns.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS REACT

Supporters, including the Department of Homeland Security, hailed the decision as a win for public safety and law enforcement, emphasizing that officers will continue focusing on individuals involved in criminal activity.

Trump-appointed US Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Monday’s Supreme Court ruling as a “massive victory,” saying on social media that immigration officers can now continue “roving patrols in California without judicial micromanagement.”

WHAT CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SAID?

Opponents, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, denounced it as racially discriminatory.

"Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court majority just became the grand marshal for a parade of racial terror in Los Angeles," Newsom said, highlighting that three of the six conservative justices on the nine-member court were appointed by Trump.

The decision comes amid a class-action lawsuit filed in July by plaintiffs, including some US citizens—who allege that federal agents have singled out individuals with brown skin, stopping them with force and demanding identification.

Immigration raids in Los Angeles and other areas have sparked fear and protests in immigrant communities and prompted multiple legal challenges over the agents’ tactics. In response to the unrest, President Trump deployed Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles, an extraordinary domestic use of military force, which Governor Newsom and local officials criticized as unnecessary and potentially unlawful.

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