SCOTUS Betrays the Constitution, Targets Angelenos
Cambridge Indivisible denounces the Supreme Court’s ruling that green-lights racial profiling in Los Angeles, vowing solidarity with Angelenos and condemning the decision as an abomination that tramples the Constitution.
Cambridge, MD — Cambridge Indivisible today condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6–3 order in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, which paused a lower-court injunction and re-opened the door for federal agents in the Los Angeles region to conduct immigration “investigative stops” using factors such as where someone is standing (e.g., a bus stop or day-labor site), the kind of job they do, whether they speak Spanish or English with an accent, and even apparent race or ethnicity. The unsigned order, accompanied by a concurrence from Justice Kavanaugh and a dissent from Justice Sotomayor, allows the government to resume tactics the District Court had barred as unconstitutional while the case proceeds.
Michelle Fowle, Co-Chair of Cambridge Indivisible, said:
“I was born and raised in Los Angeles—my hometown. This ruling tells Angelenos that their language, their workplace, or the color of their skin can be treated as suspicion. That is not ‘public safety.’ That is state-sanctioned profiling. We stand with our brothers and sisters in L.A. who now face harassment for simply living their lives.”
Andy Fowle, Co-Chair of Cambridge Indivisible, added:
“After 17 years in Los Angeles, I know these communities. This order hands officers a permission structure to stop people first and ask questions later. It invites abuse, chills daily life, and pushes innocent neighbors into the crosshairs.”
The District Court’s original order prohibited immigration stops premised solely on four factors—apparent race/ethnicity, speaking Spanish or accented English, presence at particular locations like bus stops, car washes or agricultural sites, and type of work—precisely because those factors sweep in vast numbers of innocent people. By lifting that protection pending appeal, the Supreme Court has increased the risk of discriminatory, dragnet-style policing across Los Angeles and surrounding counties.
Justice Sotomayor’s dissent warned that relying on broad traits like language, location, and type of work “tramples” the Fourth Amendment’s demand for particularized, objective suspicion—echoing decades of precedent that stops cannot rest on generalized profiles.
Cambridge Indivisible calls on California leaders, members of Congress, and local officials to use every lawful tool—legislation, oversight, litigation support, and community defense—to protect Angelenos from unconstitutional stops while the underlying case continues. We will amplify and support community organizations and legal advocates working on the front lines in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles shaped me,” Michelle Fowle said. “We will not normalize profiling masquerading as policy. From Cambridge to California, our solidarity is unbreakable—and our commitment to constitutional freedom is non-negotiable.”
For interview opportunities or additional information, please contact Michelle Fowle at info@cambridgeindivisible.org or call/text (410) 571-4862.
Background: Order staying the L.A. injunction (6–3), concurrence and dissent; case continues on appeal.
