Lower court’s temporary ban lifted
The Supreme Court has authorized the Trump administration to resume immigration raids in Southern California, overturning a lower court’s attempt to restrict the practice. The ruling suspends a July 11 injunction from U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong, who had concluded that the government’s methods likely violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Plaintiffs describe aggressive enforcement tactics
The case arose from allegations that federal agents in tactical gear and masks conducted stops targeting people based on race, ethnicity, or the way they spoke. Some plaintiffs described the detentions as sudden and forceful, resembling kidnappings. One complainant, Jason Gavidia, said he was physically confronted after insisting he was a U.S. citizen and being pressed to name his birth hospital. Judge Frimpong’s order had barred using factors such as skin color, language, place of employment, or presence at locations like car washes to justify interrogations or arrests, noting that none of these alone constitute “reasonable suspicion.”
Conservative majority backs administration
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had denied the administration’s request to lift Frimpong’s restrictions on August 1, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court. Justice Department attorneys argued that officers required broad discretion in areas where roughly 10 percent of the population is estimated to be undocumented. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed with this position, while the three liberal justices dissented. The decision adds to a string of rulings favoring Trump’s immigration policies at the nation’s highest court.
