Supreme Court Backs Trump: Aggressive Immigration Raids to Resume in California

Protesters in Pasadena, Calif., in June. Aggressive enforcement operations in Los Angeles set off days of protests and clashes in the area.(Photo:New York Times)

Washington, DC – September 8, 2025 – The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, has upheld the Trump administration’s push for aggressive immigration raids, overturning a lower court’s restrictions and allowing federal agents to resume sweeping enforcement operations in Southern California, particularly Los Angeles. The decision, issued without oral arguments, clears the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct “roving patrols” and mass detentions, even when suspicion is based on factors like race, ethnicity, language, or occupation.

The ruling reverses a July 2025 order by U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong, who had blocked ICE’s tactics after finding “overwhelming evidence” of Fourth Amendment violations. Frimpong’s injunction prohibited agents from targeting individuals solely for appearing Latino, speaking Spanish, working manual labor jobs (such as at car washes or construction sites), or being in specific locations like bus stops or agricultural fields.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the conservative majority, argued that ICE agents could rely on a “totality of circumstances” to establish reasonable suspicion, including the factors Frimpong had restricted. “When officers determine an individual is lawfully present, they release them promptly,” Kavanaugh wrote, defending the raids as essential for immigration enforcement in high-density regions.

The Court’s liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—issued a scathing dissent. Sotomayor warned that the ruling effectively sanctions racial profiling, making Latinos “vulnerable to arbitrary seizures” and fostering “fear and chaos” in communities. “People are being detained, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed based solely on their appearance, accents, or jobs,” she wrote.

The raids, which began in June 2025, are part of President Trump’s pledge to execute the “largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.” ICE and Border Patrol agents, often heavily armed and using unmarked vehicles like rental trucks, have targeted day laborers, farmworkers, and retail lot workers in Los Angeles. Reports detail incidents of U.S. citizens, legal residents, and even children being detained during these sweeps, prompting widespread outrage.

The operations have fueled protests across California, with demonstrators in Los Angeles carrying signs reading “Stop ICE Terror” and “No to Trump’s Deportations.” California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the raids as a “racially motivated attack” on the state’s communities and economy, accusing the administration of targeting Latinos to disrupt California’s workforce. In response, Trump deployed nearly 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the region without state consent, a move later deemed unlawful by a federal judge.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) praised the Supreme Court’s decision, announcing plans to “intensify operations” in Los Angeles and expand to cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. DHS emphasized that the majority of those detained lack criminal records, aligning with Trump’s focus on broad deportation over targeted enforcement.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the ruling a “decisive win,” arguing it frees agents from “overreaching judicial constraints.” However, immigrant rights groups, including the ACLU, decried the decision as a “catastrophe” that legitimizes racial profiling and endangers millions. “In areas like Los Angeles, nearly half the population could be deemed suspicious under these vague criteria,” an ACLU spokesperson said.

This marks at least the 17th time since Trump’s 2024 reelection that the Supreme Court has ruled in his favor on immigration policy, including decisions allowing deportations to third countries without asylum hearings and the revocation of humanitarian protections for thousands of migrants. The case now returns to lower courts for further review, but the immediate impact is a resumption of aggressive enforcement, escalating tensions in immigrant communities.

Advocates are calling for congressional action to curb the raids, warning of “irreparable harm” to families and businesses. “This isn’t law enforcement—it’s a deliberate campaign to intimidate and displace entire communities,” said one activist. As operations intensify, California braces for further unrest, with protests planned across the state.