The US Supreme Court has ruled sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles can continue for now, lifting a federal judge’s order that had barred agents from making stops without “reasonable suspicion”.
The Monday ruling is a win for President Donald Trump, who has vowed to conduct record-level deportations of migrants in the country illegally.
The 6-3 decision of the conservative-majority court allows agents to stops suspects based solely on their race, language or job, while a legal challenge to the recent immigration sweeps in LA works its way through the courts.
The liberal justices dissented, saying the decision puts constitutional freedoms at risk.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in Monday’s decision that the lower court’s restraining order went too far in restricting how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could carry out stops or questioning of suspected unlawful migrants.
“To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion,” he wrote. “However, it can be a ‘relevant factor’ when considered along with other salient factors.”
The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices issued a strong dissent penned by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote that “countless people in the Los Angeles area have been grabbed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed simply because of their looks, their accents, and the fact they make a living by doing manual labour.”
“Today, the Court needlessly subjects countless more to these exact same indignities,” she wrote.
The Supreme Court’s decision has been criticised by Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat.
“Today’s ruling is not only dangerous – it’s un-American and threatens the fabric of personal freedom in the United States of America,” she said in a statement.
The decision lifts an order by US District Judge Maame E Frimpong in Los Angeles, who had said that there is a “mountain of evidence” showing the raids were violating the US Constitution.
The order halted the raids, with Judge Frimpon saying the Trump administration cannot rely on factors like “apparent race or ethnicity” or “speaking Spanish” alone to stop or question individuals.
The judge also barred immigration enforcement agents from conducting stops based solely on someone’s presence “at a particular location” like a bus stop, agricultural site or car wash, or based solely on the type of work an individual does.
The temporary restraining order was issued in a legal challenge by immigration advocacy groups, who argued that immigration officers in Los Angeles were conducting “roving patrols” indiscriminately, and were denying individuals access to lawyers.
Judge Frimpong said this may violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
The Supreme Court, however, said that the administration’s actions have a good chance of ultimately being considered constitutional by the federal courts. While its decision only pertained to Judge Frimpong’s temporary restraining order, the justices also showed how the court would approach the lawsuit should it have to consider an appeal down the road.
Lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security have argued that immigration officers are targeting people based on their legal status in the US, not skin colour, race or ethnicity.
They have also said that Judge Frimpong’s order wrongly restricted ICE operations.
The Trump administration began sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles in June, stopping and arresting people at Home Depot and other workplaces, and were met with immediate protests and civil unrest..
Trump then deployed nearly 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines in response, without authorisation from the state of California.
A federal judge has since ruled that the National Guard deployment was illegal. The White House responded that “a rogue judge is trying to usurp” the president’s authority “to protect American cities from violence and destruction.”
The US Supreme Court’s decision to let the raids continue comes as the Trump administration looks to ramp up law enforcement in other cities, including Washington DC.
In August, Trump ordered National Guard troops to the American capital to address what he says is high crime in the city, and is also using federal officers to bolster the district’s law enforcement.
He is now signalling that this week he will decide if he will also send federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Chicago.
A person targeted during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stop dragged an ICE officer with a vehicle while resisting arrest in a Chicago suburb Friday morning, prompting the officer to fatally shoot the person and leaving the officer with injuries, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The slain target of the stop, Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, was an undocumented immigrant with a history of reckless driving, according to DHS. The officer, whose name was not immediately released, suffered severe injuries but is in stable condition, a DHS official told CNN.
The traffic stop happened in Franklin Park, a community about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago, the DHS official said.
“We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement,” Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary, said in a release. “Viral social media videos and activists encouraging illegal aliens to resist law enforcement not only spread misinformation, but also undermine public safety, as well as the safety of our officers and those being apprehended.”
During the stop, Villegas-Gonzalez “drove his car at law enforcement officers,” DHS said in the release.
“One of the ICE officers was hit by the car and dragged a significant distance. Fearing his own life, the officer fired his weapon,” the release reads.
A suspect has been arrested in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, officials said Friday morning. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said the suspect had been identified as Tyler Robinson, 22.
Cox said Robinson resides in Southern Utah and confessed to his father.
Two federal law enforcement sources told CBS News that Robinson’s father saw the photos released by authorities and confronted his son. Robinson admitted to being the person in the photos and his father encouraged him to turn himself in, the sources said. Robinson responded to his father, saying he would rather die by suicide than turn himself in, prompting his father to call a youth pastor close to the family, the sources said. The pastor and Robinson’s father tried to calm him, according to the sources.
The pastor, who is also a court security officer, also called the U.S. Marshals Service, which arrived and detained Robinson, the sources said.
The sources said the Marshals called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who took Robinson into custody. Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday night, FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday.
Cox said he believed Robinson acted alone, and that there is no information at this time “that would lead to any additional arrests.”
Cox thanked the family members of the suspected shooter, who he said “did the right thing” in bringing him to law enforcement.
A mugshot of Tyler Robinson.
Utah Governor’s Office
President Trump was the first to announce the suspect was in custody during an appearance on “Fox and Friends” Friday morning.
Cox said a family member told investigators that Robinson had become more political in recent years, and referenced an incident where Robinson had come to dinner and mentioned Kirk’s upcoming appearance.
Kirk shot while engaging in campus debate
Kirk, who was 31, was engaging in one of his signature “Prove Me Wrong” debates at Utah Valley University when he was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon. The event was part of Turning Point USA’s “The American Comeback Tour,” and there were over 3,000 people in attendance when Kirk was shot, police said.
Kirk’s next event had been set for Utah State University. The university confirmed that Robinson had attended the school as a pre-engineering major for one semester in 2021 before taking a leave of absence.
Kirk had just begun to debate someone in the audience about gun violence when he was shot, witnesses said. Just one shot was fired, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said on Wednesday night. Kirk was struck in the neck.
A university spokeswoman said the single shot is believed to have been fired from the Losee Center for Student Success, which houses a number of services and resources. A law enforcement source told CBS News the gunman appeared to have fired from the building’s roof.
Details on evidence emerge
After the shooting, the shooter jumped off the building and fled into a neighborhood off campus, Mason said. Photos released by law enforcement showed a person wearing a dark baseball cap, black glasses, a long-sleeved dark shirt that appeared to feature an American flag and an eagle, and dark-colored pants.
The FBI asked for the public’s help in identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
FBI
Investigators recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle that they believe was used in the assassination, Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge of the bureau’s Salt Lake City field office, said Thursday. The gun was found wrapped in a dark towel in a wooded area where the shooter fled, Bohls said.
Cox also said investigators reviewed messages on the messaging platform Discord from a person named “Tyler” that referenced a rifle wrapped in a towel that was left in the woods and engravings on bullets.
Cox said that there were inscriptions on the casings of the fired bullet and three unfired ones. The fired bullet casing contained the inscription, “Notices bulges OwO what’s this?” An unfired bullet casing read, “Hey fascist, catch!” And a second unfired casing read, “oh bella ciao, bella cio, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.” A third unfired casing said, “If you read this, you are gay.”
Cox declined to speculate on the meaning of the inscriptions.
“I will leave that up to you to interpret what those engravings mean,” Cox said. He added that the “Hey fascist, catch!” inscription “speaks for itself.”
The arrest comes after two people were briefly taken into custody, then released, on Wednesday. Neither individual had ties to the shooting, the Utah Department of Public Safety said on Wednesday night. The second person taken into custody was charged with obstruction of justice, the department said.
Kirk was a close ally of Mr. Trump and a friend of Donald Trump Jr.
The president, who ordered flags be flown at half-staff until Sunday evening, announced plans to honor Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” He also released a video statement blaming the “radical left” for the killing. Politicians and figures on both sides of the aisle have condemned Kirk’s killing.
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children. Vice President JD Vance accompanied Kirk’s casket as it was transported Thursday aboard Air Force Two to Arizona, where the family lives.
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a man in Franklin Park, Illinois Friday morning after authorities say he attempted to drive into agents.
A Department of Homeland Security official first told CBS News the agent was trying to make an arrest, which the man resisted and tried to drive his vehicle into agents. The agent then opened fire.
ICE officials confirmed the fatal shooting, saying the incident began with “targeted law enforcement activity.”
“During a vehicle stop, the suspect resisted and attempted to drive his vehicle into the arrest team, striking an officer and subsequently dragging him as he fled the scene. Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his firearm and struck the subject,” the statement said.
ICE said both the agent and the suspect were taken to a local hospital for treatment, where the man died. ICE said the agent was dragged and suffered “severe injuries.” The agent is being treated at a local hospital where his condition has stabilized, ICE said.
DHS officials identified the man shot and killed as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, who they said had a criminal history of reckless driving. They said he entered the country at an unknown date and time.
The agent was dragged by the car and suffered “multiple injuries” according to DHS.
The FBI confirmed it has been informed of the situation and is helping with the investigation.
“The FBI is aware of the incident in Franklin Park and is assisting law enforcement in response,” a spokesperson for the Chicago field office said. “There is no threat to public safety or further information available at this time.”
The village of Franklin Park is about 15 miles northwest of Chicago, near O’Hare International Airport.
NEWS: An ICE operation turned deadly in Chicago today, after a suspect resisted arrest and tried to drive his vehicle into agents, prompting an officer to shoot the suspect, who has been pronounced dead, a DHS official tells me. The officer suffered severe injuries but is stable.
Federal agents have been ramping up immigration enforcement activity all week as part of what the Trump administration is calling “Operation Midway Blitz.”
This is a developing story. Check back with CBS News Chicago for updates.
Sara Tenenbaum is the Senior Digital Producer for CBS News Chicago covering breaking, local and community news in Chicago. She previously worked as a digital producer and senior digital producer for ABC7 Chicago.
