Supreme Court Allows ICE Raids to Resume in Los Angeles, DHS Plans Chicago Operations

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow the Trump administration to resume 'roving' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles, lifting a lower court's temporary restraining order that prohibited stops based on apparent race, ethnicity, language, occupation, or location. The ruling permits ICE agents to use factors such as speaking Spanish, having an accent, or working certain jobs as grounds for stops and detentions, a practice critics decry as racial profiling and a violation of constitutional protections. Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred, stating that these criteria are common-sense indicators that can contribute to reasonable suspicion under the Fourth Amendment, while dissenting Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson condemned the decision as an unjustifiable government seizure targeting Latino communities. The Department of Homeland Security simultaneously announced expansion of such operations with a new plan called "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago. Advocates warn the ruling will lead to increased fear, family separations, and abuses of power against working-class Latino residents, while supporters emphasize enforcement tools to uphold immigration laws. The case is set to continue in federal district court, with a final decision not expected until at least 2026.