President Trump’s immigration agenda wins big in the Supreme Court
On Monday, a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a big win when it comes to immigration enforcement operations in California
by Summer Lane | September 8, 2025
President Trump won big this week in the U.S. Supreme Court, amid a sweeping decision that will allow ICE enforcement operations in Los Angeles to continue, overturning a ruling from the lower court.
In a 6-3 decision, SCOTUS put a federal order on hold that previously blocked the Trump administration from carrying out an integral component of immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
In his opinion concurring with the decision of the court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote:
“To be sure, I recognize and fully appreciate that many (not all, but many) illegal immigrants come to the United States to escape poverty and the lack of freedom and opportunities in their home countries, and to make better lives for themselves and their families. And I understand that they may feel somewhat misled by the varying U. S. approaches to immigration enforcement over the last few decades. But the fact remains that, under the laws passed by Congress and the President, they are acting illegally by remaining in the United States—at least unless Congress and the President choose some other legislative approach to legalize some or all of those individuals now illegally present in the country. And by illegally immigrating into and remaining in the country, they are not only violating the immigration laws, but also jumping in front of those noncitizens who follow the rules and wait in line to immigrate into the United States through the legal immigration process. “
The crux of this decision comes down to whether immigration officers have the right to detain (briefly) or interrogate suspected illegal migrants about their citizenship status in the United States.
According to Politico, the previous federal ruling from U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong found that such interrogation tactics were comparable to “roving patrols,” accusing ICE officers of making arrests without “reasonable suspicion,” as she described it.
However, Kavanaugh’s opinion addressed the belief that it could be perceived that ethnicity or foreign language alone would lead ICE officers to conduct such interviews.
“To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion; under this Court’s case law regarding immigration stops, however, it can be a ‘relevant factor’ when considered along with other salient factors,” he wrote.
Kavanaugh pointed out such factors as the “high number and percentage of illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area,” and noted that these individuals do indeed gather, seek daily work, and are often easy to find in specific industries, such as landscaping and agriculture.
