Washington :The US Supreme Court immigration ruling on Monday allows ICE to resume raids in Los Angeles while the case continues in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The 6-3 ruling grants the administration’s emergency appeal. ICE agents can now resume operations while the case continues in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The majority issued no written explanation.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred separately. He said agents could question people using “common sense criteria,” such as day labor employment or limited English proficiency.
“The Judiciary does not set immigration policy or decide enforcement priorities,” Kavanaugh added.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by two liberal justices, dissented. She wrote, “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and works a low-wage job.”
In July, a US District Judge blocked ICE raids, citing constitutional concerns. Stops based on race, ethnicity, or language were prohibited. When the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to lift the order, the administration appealed to the Supreme Court.
The ruling comes as DHS begins “Operation Midway Blitz”, targeting undocumented migrants in Chicago.
Trump has threatened to deploy the military to the city. Last week, he posted on Truth Social: “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.”
The crackdown follows a massive raid in Georgia on September 4. 475 workers were detained at a battery plant, including over 300 South Korean nationals, sparking outrage in Seoul.
South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun arrived in Washington to assist the workers. Lawmakers in Seoul demanded a strong response.
Trump defended the raids, saying the workers were in the US illegally. He urged foreign companies investing in America to “respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws.”
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