The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a major victory for President Trump on Monday, ruling that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue conducting roving patrols in Los Angeles to enforce immigration law. The decision halts a lower court’s order that had placed limits on immigration stops, effectively keeping ICE’s authority intact while the case continues to move through the courts.
The ruling came after U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong attempted to restrict ICE’s ability to engage in patrols across Los Angeles. The Trump administration filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court, arguing that the lower court had overstepped its authority. A majority of justices agreed, granting the request and clearing the way for ICE to continue operations in the nation’s largest sanctuary city.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the decision, writing on X that the ruling ensures ICE agents can “carry out roving patrols in California without judicial micromanagement.” She added that the court recognized the need for federal authorities to have the tools necessary to enforce immigration law, particularly in jurisdictions that openly refuse to cooperate.
The dissent, however, came in fiery form from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Instead of a narrow legal argument, Sotomayor penned what read more like an activist op-ed than a judicial opinion. “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job. Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent,” she wrote.
Critics quickly seized on her words, pointing out that ICE targets individuals with immigration violations, not random citizens based on appearance. Conservatives mocked the dissent as better suited for daytime talk television than the nation’s highest court, with one viral post noting, “She would fit right in as a host on The View.”
The court’s ruling comes as President Trump ramps up his immigration crackdown, promising to restore order in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles where violent crime has spiked under lenient Democrat policies. ICE patrols have been a cornerstone of his enforcement strategy, particularly in areas where local officials refuse to honor federal detainer requests.
For now, ICE agents will continue their work in Los Angeles, and President Trump can chalk up yet another win in his fight against illegal immigration. Meanwhile, Justice Sotomayor’s dissent shows just how far the left has drifted from interpreting the law to openly pushing activist talking points from the bench.
When a judge makes a statement that they make their judicial decisions based on their Latina experiences. You have to wonder about their level of judicial competence!