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US Supreme Court allows racial profiling checks to resume in Los Angeles
The US Supreme Court, dominated by a conservative majority, has temporarily authorized the Trump administration to resume racial profiling checks on individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants in Southern California.
The decision, announced Monday, overturns previous rulings by a federal district court in July and a federal appeals court in August that had barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting stops in Los Angeles and surrounding areas based solely on four factors: presence in places commonly associated with immigrant labor such as bus stops, car washes, farms, or hardware stores; the type of work performed; speaking Spanish or accented English; and ethnic appearance.
The intensified ICE raids in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods of Los Angeles sparked protests earlier this summer, some turning violent. The unrest led President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard, a move opposed by California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.
Lower courts had argued that such arrests violated the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects individuals against arbitrary searches and seizures and requires at least “reasonable suspicion.” However, the Supreme Court lifted the suspension in a 6–3 decision, with the three liberal justices dissenting.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing in support, emphasized that “illegal immigration is particularly pronounced in the Los Angeles area,” where an estimated 10% of the population is undocumented.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to sit on the Supreme Court, expressed strong opposition on behalf of the liberal wing. “We should not have to live in a country where the government can stop anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work in a low-wage job,” she wrote, warning that the ruling effectively creates “a second-class citizenship status.”
Immigration remains a cornerstone of US agriculture, with a 2022 Department of Agriculture study showing that 42% of farm workers lack legal authorization to work in the country.
