California Attorney Generalโ Bonta โขCondemns Supreme Court Ruling on Immigrationโ Enforcement
Los Angeles, CA – California โฃAttorney General Rob Bonta sharply criticized a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision โthat allows immigration โagents broader authority to question individuals suspectedโ of โbeing in โthe country illegally. Speaking at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, Bonta labeled the ruling a potential violation โขof Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable โsearches โคand seizures.
The supreme Court’s decision effectively permits immigration agents to initiate stops and questioning based on characteristics like perceived race, place of employment,โค or โฃinability to speak โEnglish.โข Bonta voiced strong agreement โwith arguments previously made by theโ ACLU in a โคlawsuit against the Trump administration, asserting that such indiscriminate tactics are unconstitutional.
“It is unconstitutional for ICE โฃagents, federal โimmigration officers, to use race, the inability to speak English, location or perceived โขoccupation to stopโข and detain, โsearch, seizeโค Californians,” Bonta stated. Heโค expressed โparticular concern that theโ ruling could โfacilitate racial profiling.
Bonta also voiced his disapprovalโ of the Supreme Court’s increasingโข use ofโข its “emergency docket” – a fast-track process for urgent cases. โHe โargued this โpractice lacks clarity, often resulting in rulings without detailed explanations or publicly recorded โvotes. “It’s disappointing,” Bonta said,โ “You frequently enough don’tโ knowโ who โhas voted and how. There’sโ no โargument. there’s no written opinion.”
The โคAttorney General specifically called the concurring opinion penned byโ Justice Brett kavanaugh “very disturbing.” Kavanaugh suggested that employment โin industriesโค like construction and farming – often filled by day laborers – could be a factor inโข identifying individuals forโ questioningโค by โimmigration agents.
Bonta countered that this justification opens the door to discriminatory practices.”It enables the use of race to perhaps discriminate,” he explained, “and it is disturbing andโฃ it is โtroubling.”โ
The Attorney General’s office is currently evaluating potential โlegal responses to the ruling, aiming to protect โฃthe rightsโข of Californians.
