Supreme Court migrant raids

Washington — The US Supreme Court has allowed indiscriminate checks of migrants to resume in Los Angeles, lifting restrictions imposed by a lower court pending a final decision on appeal by the Trump administration.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court offered no rationale for its ruling on Monday.

In July, a lower court in California had barred federal agents from stopping people at random in large-scale operations in the Los Angeles area — based on appearance, language or other factors — without reasonable suspicion. Critics have denounced such actions as “racial profiling.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting migrants in Los Angeles sparked protests in June. The city, which is the second most populous in the United States, is home to a large undocumented population.

To curb unrest, the Trump administration had even deployed National Guard troops to the city during its heightened immigration enforcement, further angering local leaders and many residents.

ICE has recently intensified operations against undocumented migrants in other cities as well, including Washington.