When the Court Goes Rogue

How Long Beach Must Adapt Lawful Resistance After the Shadow Docket’s Cruelty

On August 28, I wrote in this paper that the ICE raids at Andres Car Wash and Coast Hand Car Wash weren’t law enforcement – they were terror in drag. And I asked: where was the follow-up? Where was the crime-scene response from Long Beach authorities to investigate who overstepped their bounds and violated constitutional rights? That was the moment when our city needed clarity, accountability and courage.

Then Monday, the unthinkable happened: the Supreme Court, from its so-called shadow docket, reversed a lower court’s order protecting Long Beach residents – and others – from racially and ethnically driven stops. ICE’s roving raids – long criticized as profiling disguised as policing – are now tacitly permitted. Racial appearance, language, workplace, accent … factors previously barred from suspicion-based stops can again be used. Without explanation. Without debate. On a whisper of emergency power.

Justice Sotomayor blasted it in a blistering dissent: “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish and appears to work a low-wage job.”

What This Means for Our “Crime-Scene” Strategy

In my earlier op-ed I urged treating lawless raids as crime scenes – gather evidence, document violations, preserve solidarity. That approach still matters; if anything, it is more urgent now – but Long Beach must adapt:

• Know Your Rights, Then Stay Ready. Teach our workers to invoke rights and document encounters. In Long Beach, with its immigrant workforce and port economy, we must plan for the real possibility of mass detentions, not just sporadic ones. That means quick legal response networks, mobile monitoring, and rapid-response communication rooted in our neighborhoods.
• Demand Transparency from Elected Officials. The court has removed judicial protection, putting even more weight on civic oversight here at home. Our City Council, city attorney and district attorney must demand internal logs, body-cam video, stop-data and post-operation reviews whenever local resources are touched by federal raids.
• Mobilize Legal Pressure Strategically. The litigation that drove Judge Frimpong’s injunction is still alive. Long Beach advocates should push it forward and rally support from unions, churches, and civic organizations until the Constitution is restored. 
• Reframe Public Accountability as Emergency Response. We called it a crime scene before. Now it’s a constitutional emergency. That means emergency audits, emergency public hearings, and emergency declarations by the Long Beach City Council – bold actions that define our city as one unwilling to be a staging ground for lawless dragnet policing.

Leading by Example

Until the Supreme Court respects the Constitution, these moments demand less complacency and more resilience. We cannot wait for a fully reasoned opinion – especially one that may never arrive. We must act in our own defense, doubling down on preparation, documentation, and public pressure.

And here’s the larger point: Long Beach can and should lead. We, the people, and our elected leaders have the chance to provide the example that other municipalities can follow – by standing up to overreach, by protecting workers, and by proving that a city’s loyalty belongs to its residents, not to a rogue federal operation.

The message remains: protests, rights awareness, and community organizing aren’t optional. Until the rule of law is restored, they are our lifeline – and Long Beach can show the nation how it’s done.

Stephen Downing is a resident of Long Beach and a retired LAPD deputy chief. He writes on policing, civil liberties and the rule of law in Exposing the Con, Defending Democracy. You can follow his work at stephendowning.substack.com.