New York, NY—Today, in a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration and, at least temporarily, put aside a federal judge’s order that had restricted ICE from racial profiling when conducting immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
The lower court ruling, now lifted, had barred federal agents from carrying out stops and raids that detained people without probable cause based on racial stereotypes. The Supreme Court majority offered no explanation for why it decided to block the judge’s order. The Supreme Court minority gave a written dissent, describing the outcome as, “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.”
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“The Supreme Court is giving ICE the green light to racially profile immigrants and cities with a large majority of communities of color. This ruling threatens to destabilize families, spread fear in immigrant communities, and normalize unconstitutional policing practices that target people simply for how they look, where they live, or what language they speak. All Black and Brown families now face unwarranted harassment from ICE agents on the street–whether in California or New York. Every family in these communities is living with heightened fear, uncertain if their loved ones will return home safely or get through the day, for simply existing. Parents may fear taking their children to school, workers may avoid going to their jobs, and people may avoid seeking essential services including medical care. This decision undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections of our democracy.”