Lower court restrictions lifted
The Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration, allowing federal authorities to resume immigration raids in Southern California that had previously been blocked. The ruling suspends a July 11 injunction from U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong, who had determined the enforcement tactics likely violated the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Lawsuit alleges biased enforcement
Plaintiffs argued that masked and armed federal agents carried out stops based on race, ethnicity, or language, describing the raids as sudden and forceful, akin to abductions. One plaintiff, Jason Gavidia, said he was physically confronted after asserting his U.S. citizenship and being questioned about the hospital where he was born. Judge Frimpong’s order had prohibited using characteristics such as skin color, spoken language, employment type, or presence at certain locations like car washes as the sole reason for detentions, emphasizing that these factors alone do not create “reasonable suspicion.”
High court split on decision
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had denied the administration’s request to overturn Frimpong’s order on August 1, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court. Justice Department attorneys argued that agents needed wide discretion in areas where an estimated 10 percent of residents are undocumented. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed with the administration, while the three liberal justices dissented. The decision marks another instance in which the high court has allowed Trump’s immigration policies to proceed despite challenges in lower courts.
