US Supreme Court allows Trump’s controversial immigration raids in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA - August 14: Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector and Commander-Operation At Large CA (center), marches with federal agents to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building after US Border Patrol agents produced a show of force outside the Japanese American National Museum where Gov. Newsom was holding a redistricting press conference on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
The United States Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume its sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles, overturning earlier restrictions aimed at protecting civil liberties.
In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority court removed limits that had prevented federal agents from targeting individuals based on factors such as language, ethnicity, or occupation. Critics say the ruling effectively legalises racial profiling.
Writing in dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices, warned that the decision “has all but declared that all Latinos, US citizens or not, who work low-wage jobs are fair game to be seized at any time and held until they provide proof of their legal status.”
The ruling overturns a lower court order by Central District of California Judge Maame Frimpong, who had cited extensive evidence that immigration agents were violating residents’ constitutional rights. The Supreme Court offered no explanation for its decision.
“The Supreme Court’s order is outrageous because it puts on hold the well-reasoned opinions of the lower federal courts without providing its own reasoning,” said Cecillia Wang, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Following the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security said it would continue to “flood the zone” in Los Angeles, where many people detained in immigration raids have had no criminal record.
Opponents say the raids have disproportionately targeted Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities, with agents appearing at workplaces, stores, and public areas. Earlier this year, heavily armed agents were filmed detaining groups of people outside a Los Angeles home furnishings store in what critics described as a “Trojan Horse” operation.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the decision as a “rubber stamp for racial terror,” adding: “Trump’s private police force now has a green light to come after your family – and every person is now a target.”
The Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies have frequently been criticised for framing immigrants as an “invading force,” a narrative previously limited to far-right anti-immigrant groups.
