Slate Daily Feed Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Dear Justice Kavanaugh, “I’m American, Bro”
Sep 13, 2025
Ahilan Arulanantham, a human rights lawyer and law professor at UCLA, discusses a recent Supreme Court ruling that effectively legalizes racial profiling by ICE. He explains how this decision could impact not only immigrants but U.S. citizens as well, particularly those with brown skin. The conversation delves into the complexities of immigration law, the implications of reasonable suspicion, and critiques Justice Kavanaugh’s views on undocumented immigrants. Arulanantham highlights the societal fear and challenges faced by Latino communities due to these legal shifts.
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Parks Emptied After ICE Raids
- Ahilan describes ICE raids in Pasadena that led the city to cancel weekend park activities because families were too scared to attend.
- He says those raids physically removed vendors and disrupted everyday life across neighborhoods.
Street Vendors Disappear Overnight
- Ahilan recounts vendors, taco trucks, and fruit sellers vanishing from LA streets as ICE officers arrested people at work sites.
- He notes these disappearances reshaped the city's daily commerce and public life.
Robust Factual Record Underpins Injunction
- The district court compiled a detailed factual record showing ICE used race, language, workplace, and location to detain people without individualized suspicion.
- The record included social media videos, sworn declarations, and demographic data about the region.
