Fourth Amendment at a Crossroads with Immigration Enforcements
By Sharon Vieira
Embedded Files
The Supreme Court's ruling on September 8th, Noem v. Perdomo, sparked a pressing conversation about individual rights and immigration procedures on both sides of the political parties in LA.
On September 8, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Noem v. Perdomo, lifting a restraint issued by Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. The restraint consisted of ICE’s ability to use race or ethnicity, speaking a foreign language, presence in certain locations, or the type of work suspected aliens do for immigration stops in LA. Judge Frimpong saw these factors as violations of the Fourth Amendment, which states that government officials like ICE cannot stop, search or arrest people without reasonable suspicion. Judge Frimpong was overruled by the Supreme Court, so now ICE officials are allowed to resume immigration stops under this new branch of "reasonable suspicion.”
Left-leaning groups view this ruling as a step backwards in progress towards improved immigration laws. Some believe this decision will cause unnecessary racial profiling, resulting in harm towards immigrants. Other citizens argue that it will lead to erratic raids and spread fear in immigrant communities. Los Angeles city council member Eunisses Hernandez says that the government should not profit off of immigrants’ labor and the next minute criminalize their existence.
Central-leaning perspectives, like that of Supreme Court justice Sonya Sotomayor, believe this verdict does not resolve the issue in which the use of race, spoken language, presences in certain locations, or jobs during ICE stops is deemed constitutional. These citizens also view this ruling as a temporary law, not a final word.
Right-leaning citizens view the decision as a victory for immigration enforcement efforts. Many of these conservatives believe that ICE is restoring law and order to our once-lost country. U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi is pleased with the verdict and believes ICE’s job will be done in an easier and faster manner. Other Americans viewed the restrictions as overboard and believe that the 4 factors can be used alongside other pieces of evidence to aid in mass deportation.
All of these groups have their own opinions on the Noem v. Perdomo ruling, and all have the right to exercise their beliefs through the first amendment.
Sources
https://www.vox.com/scotus/458245/supreme-court-trump-los-angeles-ice-noem-perdomo
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/08/trump-supreme-court-ice-immigration-california
Page updated
Report abuse