Judge’s ruling put on hold
The U.S. Supreme Court has given the Trump administration approval to continue immigration raids in Southern California, reversing a lower court’s attempt to halt the practice. The decision pauses a July 11 order from District Judge Maame Frimpong, who found the government’s tactics likely in conflict with the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Lawsuit alleges unconstitutional practices
The complaint described federal agents in masks and tactical gear carrying out sudden stops of people based on racial appearance or the way they spoke. Plaintiffs compared the detentions to public abductions. One man, Jason Gavidia, said he was assaulted when officers rejected his proof of citizenship and pressed him for details about where he was born. Judge Frimpong’s injunction had barred agents from relying on race, language, type of work, or presence in specific places like tow yards or car washes as the basis for an arrest or interrogation, noting those traits alone cannot establish “reasonable suspicion.”
Justices split along ideological lines
The administration had appealed to the Supreme Court after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on August 1 declined to lift Frimpong’s restrictions. Justice Department lawyers argued that officers required broad discretion in an area where they estimate about 10 percent of residents are undocumented. The conservative majority of the Supreme Court agreed, while the three liberal justices dissented. The ruling adds to a growing list of high court decisions favoring Trump’s immigration agenda.
