US Supreme Court Greenlights Immigration Raids In LA As Crackdown Intensifies In Chicago

In a landmark ruling, the US Supreme Court has allowed federal immigration authorities to resume controversial raids in the Los Angeles area, overturning a previous court order that had restricted such operations.

The 6–3 decision came in response to an emergency request from the Trump administration. The administration argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needed the freedom to conduct raids amid rising concerns over undocumented immigration.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately to support the majority opinion. He stated that federal agents could use ‘common sense criteria’, such as language barriers or employment type, when identifying possible violations.

“The Judiciary does not set immigration policy or decide enforcement priorities,” Kavanaugh added.

Liberal Judges Sound Alarm on Discrimination

The court’s three liberal justices strongly opposed the ruling.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, warned that the decision risked legalising racial profiling.

“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,” Sotomayor wrote in her dissent.

In July, a US District Judge ruled that such raids likely infringed on constitutional protections. The judge also barred ICE from making stops based solely on ethnicity, race, or language use.

The decision coincides with the launch of Operation Midway Blitz, a new campaign targeting undocumented migrants in Chicago.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the initiative’s start, while former President Trump has reiterated his hardline stance, hinting at potential military involvement in enforcement.

Trump posted on Truth Social and warned, “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War,” fuelling public concerns about the scale and aggression of federal operations.

US authorities detained over 300 South Korean citizens among 475 workers at a battery plant construction site in Georgia. This incident has caused tensions to escalate between the two countries.

South Korea’s foreign minister, Cho Hyun, travelled to Washington this week to assist in their return.

Trump defended the action, saying those detained were in the US illegally. He also urged foreign firms to comply with American immigration law.

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