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A handful of California Democrats, who are also longtime political foes of President Donald Trump, slammed a Supreme Court ruling that lifts restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration raids in Los Angeles as “un-American” and opening the door to a “parade of racial terror.”
“@realDonaldTrump’s hand-picked SCOTUS majority just became the Grand Marshal for a parade of racial terror in LA. His administration is targeting Latinos — and anyone who doesn’t look or sound like @StephenM’s idea of an American — to deliberately harm our families and economy,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted to X on Monday evening.
Newsom, who has sparred with Trump stretching back to the president’s first administration, was reacting to a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling on Monday that the Trump administration can continue deploying immigration raids in California, which blocked a lower court’s ruling that halted such raids in the state.
The case was punted to the Supreme Court after a federal judge in July blocked ICE from conducting raids in Los Angeles County, citing that they were likely unconstitutional as federal agents were detaining individuals for “apparent race or ethnicity,” or speaking Spanish. Immigration activists had accused the federal government of targeting Latinos based on criteria such as speaking Spanish. The Ninth Circuit upheld the July order before the Supreme Court weighed in.
TRUMP ADMIN SEEKS TO OVERTURN FEDERAL RESTRAINING ORDER LIMITING ICE OPERATIONS IN LOS ANGELES
Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff each issued a rebuke of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday, calling the Trump administration’s immigration raids “blatantly illegal.”
“This Administration rounded up and arrested California residents, including U.S. citizens and legal residents, based on the color of their skin or the language they speak. This is blatantly illegal, yet the Supreme Court is allowing it to happen while the case proceeds. When the history of this country’s rapid descent into dictatorship is written, Republicans in Congress and the Roberts Court will have been its primary enabler,” Schiff posted to X on Monday.
Schiff has a long documented contentious relationship with Trump, including over the Jan. 6, 2021 investigation, Trump’s first impeachment trial and the Russia investigation. The California Democrat is currently under a Department of Justice investigation for alleged mortgage fraud uncovered under the second Trump administration.
“I want the entire nation to hear me when I say this isn’t just an attack on the people of LA, this is an attack on every person in every city in this country. Today’s ruling is not only dangerous – it’s un-American and threatens the fabric of personal freedom in the U.S.” Bass added in her own message on X.
Bass and Trump have also sparred in the past, most recently over the summer when federal immigration officials first converged on the city, and back in January when wildfires ripped across Southern California and devastated the Los Angeles area.
“Let me be clear: we will not allow the White House, nor the Supreme Court, to divide us. And to all Angelenos, I will never stop fighting for your rights, your dignity, and your safety, despite this administration’s efforts to threaten them. We will stand united,” Bass continued in a press release.
LOS ANGELES JUDGE WEIGHS SEVERE LIMITS ON TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA
The Supreme Court’s majority did not include an explanation for the ruling. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, however, authored a concurring opinion arguing that a combination of factors — such as race — could provide authorities with reasonable suspicion to stop a person and inquire about their immigration status.
“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,” Kavanaugh wrote.
SUPREME COURT RULES ON TRUMP’S THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTATIONS, IN MAJOR TEST FOR PRESIDENT
Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued the dissent and argued the emergency order approving such raids was “troubling” and pointed to the majority’s lack of explanation for the move.
“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.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUES LOS ANGELES OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES THAT ‘IMPEDE’ ICE OPERATIONS
The Trump administration celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday.
“This is a win for the safety of Californians and the rule of law,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, according to Politico. “DHS law enforcement will not be slowed down and will continue to arrest and remove the murderers, rapists, gang members, and other criminal illegal aliens… .”
The Supreme Court order follows the Trump administration ordering immigration officials to carry out raids back in June to remove individuals illegally residing in Los Angeles, which dubbed itself a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants in November before Trump was sworn back into the Oval Office.
Riots and protests subsequently broke out in the city as local leaders, such as Newsom and Bass, slammed the Trump administration’s illegal immigrant crackdown and offered words of support to illegal immigrants.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s, Bass’ and Schiff’s respective offices on Monday afternoon.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
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