On Sept. 7, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s immigration operations to resume in Los Angeles. In a 6-3 decision, the court voted to lift restrictions on immigration patrols in L.A. after a lower federal court over the summer found that federal agents were indiscriminately targeting people based on race, language, employment or location.
In June, massive protests erupted in the Los Angeles area after immigration raids took place near a local Home Depot. Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, stated that the Supreme Court “has now given the green light for law enforcement to profile and detain Angelenos based on their race.”
In recent weeks, Trump has signed orders to deploy federal agents to patrol the streets of larger metropolitan areas, such as the Washington D.C., Baltimore, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Immigration issues aren’t just happening in the largest cities in the world; they are also hitting smaller areas in comparison all over the country. On September 10, up to 28 people were arrested and detained on their way to work at a poultry plant in Russellville, Alabama.
According to AL.com, 413 people were arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the month of June. That number barely slipped to 384 people in the month of July, with at least 20%of those arrests being considered “non–criminal arrests.”
Most of these detainees are natives of Mexico. Among the total arrested this year in Alabama, about 30 immigrants were sent to countries outside of their ethnic background.
There are multiple advocacy groups seeking to help around the United States, including the American Civil Liberties Union. According to the ACLU, 41 million immigrants were living in the US in early 2025. In 2013, 83 percent of deportations happened without a hearing before a judge, which is considered a vital right in our country. The U.S. has spent nearly two billion dollars detaining immigrants.
The policies placed by the supreme court attempts to normalize military policing of civilians. ACLU’s National Security Project director Hina Shamsi states “Protest plays an essential role in our democracy and President Trump is hellbent on suppressing it.” Shamsi continues to cite that “the founders of this country made abundantly clear [that] turning troops on civilians is an intolerable threat of our liberties.”
To voice concerns and push for a better America, call or email your local representatives. Sign petitions, go peacefully protest and make your voice heard whether or not there are ears to hear you.
The government does not have the best interest for every resident of this country at heart. Linked below are some resources for any issues with encounters with law enforcement or military troops.
Nethan Crew is the Managing Editor of Production for The Alabamian. He's a Psychology major and enjoys cooking, camping and listening to new music in his free time.
