On Monday, the Supreme Court lifted a restraining order barring federal immigration agents from stopping people solely based on their race, the language they speak, their job, or their location.
The decision gives federal agents the green light to continue “roving patrols” that have resulted in hundreds of immigrants—and even a few American citizens—being snatched off the streets at Home Depots, carwashes, and taco stands across the Los Angeles area in early June and July.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices who dissented, called the decision “yet another grave misuse of our emergency docket.”
“We should not have to live in a country where the government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low-wage job,” Sotomayor continued.
The federal government’s position on these raids “has all but declared that all Latinos, U.S. citizens or not, who work low-wage jobs are fair game to be seized at any time, taken away from work, and held until they provide proof of their legal status to the agents’ satisfaction,” Sotomayor wrote.
The decision is another significant victory for President Donald Trump, who has promised to carry out the “largest mass deportation operation” in American history. However, the lawsuit is still in the early stages.
In a written statement, the ACLU SoCal noted that the Supreme Court’s request for a pause in the temporary restraining order “does not halt further proceedings in the case.”
“On September 24, the federal district court will hear arguments on whether to issue a preliminary injunction based on additional evidence of the government’s unlawful tactics,” ACLU SoCal wrote.
“When ICE grabbed me, they never showed a warrant or explained why,” Pedro Vasquez Perdomo, a plaintiff in the case, said in a written statement. “I was treated like I didn’t matter–locked up, cold, hungry, and without a lawyer. Now, the Supreme Court says that’s okay? That’s not justice. That’s racism with a badge.”
Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney at ACLU SoCal, described Monday’s decision as “a devastating setback for our plaintiffs and communities who, for months, have been subjected to immigration stops because of the color of their skin, occupation, or the language they speak.”
“Today’s SCOTUS ruling puts farm workers—and every Californian who looks or sounds like they might be an immigrant—in greater danger,” said Teresa Romero, President of the United Farm Workers. “This does not impact immigrants in a vacuum; it will affect all of us. We will continue to seek a preliminary injunction in this case, and we will keep fighting for farm workers and all immigrant communities across the USA.”
In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass called the Supreme Court’s ruling “dangerous and un-American.”.
“I want the entire nation to hear me when I say this isn’t just an attack on the people of Los Angeles, this is an attack on every person in every city in this country. Today’s ruling is not only dangerous – it’s un-American and threatens the fabric of personal freedom in the United States of America,” the mayor said.
“Today, the highest court in the country ruled that the White House and masked federal agents can racially profile Angelenos with no due process, snatch them off the street with no evidence or warrant, and take them away with no explanation. This decision will lead to more working families being torn apart and fear of the very institutions meant to protect—not persecute—our people,” Mayor Bass continued.
