The Supreme Court handed President Trump a major victory for his immigration agenda on Monday, clearing the way for ICE to carry out “mass deportation” operations in Los Angeles.
The justices stayed lower court rulings that had found U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated the Constitution by factoring in race, ethnicity, language, and location when deciding whom to question about legal status.
Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote that while ethnicity cannot serve as the sole basis for enforcement actions, it may be considered as a “relevant factor” when weighed alongside others.
“Under this court’s precedents, not to mention common sense, those circumstances taken together can constitute at least reasonable suspicion of illegal presence in the United States,” he wrote.