top of page
Search

The Cruel Truth Behind the Legalization of Racial Profiling

  • Writer: Gael Guerrero
    Gael Guerrero
  • 12 minutes ago
  • 6 min read

by Gael Guerrero (He/Him)

We are now almost a year into Donald Trump’s second Presidential term and he’s made his attitudes towards immigration clear; immigrants (especially undocumented immigrants) are unwelcome to stay in the United States and should be removed by any means necessary. The current political landscape hasn’t been favoring immigrants or people of color recently. This is especially prevalent throughout Southern California and Pomona Valley. Under President Donald Trump, ICE has been enforcing anti-immigration policies and deporting many undocumented immigrants, but many people who aren’t immigrants or undocumented have been caught in the crossfire. One of the major anti-immigration policies is the legalization of racial profiling by ICE. The racial profiling towards people of color is causing visible distress in the immigrant community.

I was born in the United States but my parents are immigrants from Sinaloa, Mexico. They came to this country because of the opportunity for a better future for our family, family that’s in the U.S. and our family back in Mexico. I understood the sacrifices they made leaving their family behind to start a new life. Being raised by immigrants in an immigrant community has shown me why people come to the United States, how they contribute to our communities, and why they shouldn’t be forcefully removed. Immigrants do so much for the United States, but the government sees them as a burden and is actively choosing to persecute them through the legalization of racial profiling.

Image depicts a protest against ICE’s actions against immigrants. Image is taken from Gente Organizada’s website.
Image depicts a protest against ICE’s actions against immigrants. Image is taken from Gente Organizada’s website.

Legalization of Racial Profiling

So how exactly are immigrant families being targeted? In September of 2025 the Supreme Court overturned the ruling that prohibited ICE agents, in Los Angeles, from stopping people and questioning people’s immigration status on the basis of ethnicity. According to The New York Times article, “The Supreme Court Decision on ICE and Racial Profiling, Explained,” journalist Charlie Savage explains the ruling’s implications. Savage lists the factors people can be stopped for including their “apparent race or ethnicity; the fact that they speak English with an accent or speak Spanish; their presence at particular locations like farms or pickup sites for day laborers; and the type of work they do” (Savage).

According to this new Supreme Court ruling, ICE agents can now racially profile individuals without probable cause of a crime. Not only can people be questioned on the basis of race they are also being arrested because of the locations they’re in and their workplaces. This violates the freedom and security that citizens should be allowed under the U.S. government. People of color are being ostracized and aren’t given the peace of mind that should come with protection from their government. This is causing distress for non-immigrant families, but even more distress for immigrant families.

Emotional Discomfort for Immigrant Families

The lack of security and trust from the government causes more emotional distress for immigrant families. This ruling was not unanimous; the dissenters believed that this ruling was discriminatory and was a violation of the fourth amendment, which is intended to grant privacy by preventing unwarranted search and seizures from law enforcement. This violation of the constitution only causes further distress for immigrant families. Savage quotes Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a dissenter, as saying, “the ruling forced an entire class of American citizens — those who look, talk or work in ways associated with undocumented immigrants — to the indignity of having to carry documentation to prove that they deserve to walk freely” (Savage). 

This ruling forces immigrants, and people who may appear to be immigrants by ICE’s standards, to carry important documentation at all times to have a sense of security in our current society. People in the United States should have security, and not need to fear being detained or questioned due to the protection they are granted under the fourth amendment. However, this protection isn’t being granted. There are many people, who may appear to look like immigrants by ICE’s standards, that have to walk around worried about what may happen to them if they don’t have documentation on them.

We are currently living under Trump’s second Presidential term. During his first term, he actively enforced a Zero Tolerance Policy (ZTP) against immigration. While the ZTP is no longer in place, Trump and ICE’s attitudes towards immigration still remain the same. This policy led to the separation of many families. Under this Presidential term, families still worry about being separated from each other. This forced separation can negatively influence many children. In the Children and Youth Services Review Journal, Kristina  Lovato et al. conducted a literature review titled, “Understanding the Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Separated from Their Parents during the ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy in the US: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” In this review the authors analyzed the psychological toll this policy took on families. Lovato et al. state, “Studies included in this review demonstrate that youth who were separated from their parents were found to be at high risk of experiencing mental health stressors such as anxiety, trauma, depression, suicidal ideation, aggression, avoidance, guilt, and fear” (Lovato et al. 6).

Children who were impacted directly by the policies were more likely to experience issues regarding individual mental health. These results only account for the individual immigrant families who were detained and separated from each other; these results don’t account for the distress that families may have faced in their day to day life living under policies like the ZTP. Policies like the ZTP and the legalization of profiling by ICE have faced a lot of retaliation from the public.

Backlash Regarding the Political Actions 

It’s safe to say that many immigrants disagree with these profilings, and this decision is certainly receiving a lot of backlash. A large portion of ICE’s raids and profiling has taken place in Southern California. In their article “Protests in LA Emerge After Residents Fight Back Against ICE Detentions”, Sherdell Baker describes ICE’s actions towards undocumented immigrants and how people are reacting. In their article they state, “These protests initially began in Los Angeles after a raid happened in a local Home Depot, but soon after spread to Paramount, West Lake District and other areas of California” (Baker).

Protestors are actively fighting against ICE’s actions and they are shifting their approaches to protesting as ICE shifts their raids (Baker). Los Angeles continues to be a place where many protestors debate ICE. But many protestors have shifted to Home Depots where ICE has chosen to raid. This activism against ICE is necessary, as even here in Pomona Valley there have been people taken by ICE at local Home Depots (Juarez and Fisher).

Conclusion

Immigrants throughout Southern California and the United States have faced immense injustice under the Trump administration. Even though the Supreme Court overturned this ruling, racially profiling is not something that should be tolerated under any circumstances. People recognize this injustice and the emotional toll families have faced due to the government’s distrust in people of color. These policies are rightfully receiving backlash, and hopefully these protests against ICE result in a safer environment for all immigrants in the U.S. This fight won’t be an easy one to win, but it’s up to us to continue retaliating against unjust policies to secure immigrant justice.

This issue is one that is really close to myself and many other people. I grew up in a lower income neighborhood with many immigrant families, and I have some immigrant relatives from Mexico. It’s heartbreaking to see so many families being torn apart, while also fearing for the people in my communities. I’m not alone in this sentiment, ICE and the U.S. government are facing backlash for their racism. Immigrant families belong in the U.S. and it is clear that we need to make our voices heard against the oppressive government. 

Works Cited

Baker, Sherdell. “Protests in LA Emerge After Residents Fight Back Against ICE Detentions.” Ebony, June 2025, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=32b8b82c-3341-3095-bdc4-ede4cabebb05.

Juarez, Leticia, and Michelle Fisher. “More than a Dozen Day Laborers Detained in ICE Raid Outside Pomona Home Depot, Witnesses Say.” ABC7 Los Angeles, 22 Apr. 2025, https://abc7.com/post/more-dozen-day-laborers-detained-ice-raid-outside-pomona-home-depot-witnesses-say/16224834/.

Lovato, Kristina, et al. “Understanding the Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Separated from Their Parents during the ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy in the US: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Children & Youth Services Review, vol. 173, June 2025, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost,

Shadle, Matthew A. “Interrogating the Legal/Illegal Frame: Trump Administration Immigration Policy and the Christian Response.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, vol. 55, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 91–103. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ccl.idm.oclc.org/10.1353/ecu.2020.0010.

Gael is a current Freshman at Pitzer. He is a first generation Hispanic college student.

bottom of page