NEW YORK CITY — A New York Times Editorial Board opinion video argues that recent Supreme Court jurisprudence has effectively enabled racial profiling in immigration enforcement, citing body camera footage that shows ICE agents and state troopers targeting Black and Brown drivers without clear justification.
In the video, the Editorial Board reviews footage revealing that ICE agents and state troopers are practicing large-scale racial profiling against Black and Brown drivers, which the court has deemed permissible in the context of immigration control.
The opinion video focuses on two cases involving Latinos. Juanita Avila and Javier Ramirez describe their experiences with ICE and the racial profiling that led to their arrests.
Juanita Avila states that “the first question they asked me was, where was I born?”
Javier Ramirez says he was targeted by officers who stated, “Just get him, he’s Mexican.”
The Editorial Board states that “immigration agents appear to have had no clear reason to approach Juanita Avila and Javier Ramirez.”
The only factor contributing to their interest in the two appeared to be the color of their skin.
The Editorial Board argues that the reason for this racial profiling is because Chief Justice John Roberts’ Supreme Court “has given ICE the rubber stamp to racially profile.”
According to the New York Times, these cases are happening across the country, and each altercation often begins with one question: “Where were you born?”
The Editorial Board states that the footage being reviewed was only released because “a nonprofit had to sue to get this footage.”
The footage is from one night in Tennessee in May 2025, when “state troopers and federal immigration agents teamed up,” conducting traffic stops throughout the night.
After showing multiple stops of Black and Brown individuals who were asked to hand over their IDs, the Editorial Board contrasts this with White individuals being pulled over.
In one video, it is shown that “before the officer even runs her license, he tells the ICE agent waiting nearby ‘nah. Striking out.’”
The individual is then let go “without any further questions.”
The Editorial Board states that “in most cases, when a driver looks Latino or speaks with an accent, officers ask everyone in the car for identification.”
Furthermore, “the footage also shows officers stopping Black and Brown drivers for minor issues… like a tinted window, a license plate without a light, even a bent plate that’s still clearly readable.”
“This is what racial profiling looks like,” argues the Editorial Board.
They add that what is even more troubling is that this has been allowed by the Supreme Court, stating that “in a recent ruling, the court said immigration agents can weigh factors like race, language and accent when deciding who to stop and question.”
Continuing the interviews, the New York Times reports that Ramirez and Avila “carried documents proving their citizenship or legal status. But when stopped, they weren’t even given the opportunity to show those documents.”
Ramirez states, “My passport was in my wallet that day.”
Avila states, “[I] pulled out my green card from my pocket… I have my ID. You guys [ICE agents] didn’t even ask for it.”
During his arrest, Ramirez recounts agents putting their knees on his neck and references his fear, recalling the video of George Floyd.
“I didn’t want to die, so I was trying to move from it,” he says.
The Editorial Board shares a recording of Ramirez calling 911, during which he says, “I’m just in the van and I don’t know where they’re taking me… I’m a U.S. citizen, and I’m hurt and I need an ambulance.”
The dispatcher responds, “Right, and I cannot send you help, sir.”
Ramirez also says that “I just hear the officers just laughing… You hear them laughing, high-fiving themselves, asking ‘hey how many did you get?’”
He adds that once agents discovered he was a U.S. citizen, they became silent.
The Editorial Board traces the history of racial profiling, stating that law enforcement has long been allowed to use factors such as race, height and gender to identify suspects.
However, it notes that “the Supreme Court has been very clear that you can’t use race in broad, blanket ways in many parts of American life.”
The board points out that the court has ruled against allowing race as a factor in college admissions.
Quoting Chief Justice John Roberts, the Editorial Board notes he argued that “the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
However, the board states that “when it comes to immigration, the court has taken the opposite approach.”
The Supreme Court has allowed ICE to factor race into immigration stops.
“This is a double standard,” the Editorial Board argues, adding that “communities of color are left living with the consequences.”
“I was traumatized,” Ramirez says.
“I thought they were coming for criminals. To me, that was fine, but not this,” Avila says.
In the video, Avila can be heard telling ICE agents, “I have my ID. You guys didn’t even ask for it.”
The Editorial Board concludes with a final statement, saying, “The Supreme Court and the Trump administration must uphold the promise of the Constitution.”
“All persons, regardless of race, must be treated equally under the law,” the board states.
It adds that “the Supreme Court needs to address its contradictory rulings. Otherwise, millions of people will continue to live in fear of their own government.”
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