Whoopi Goldberg Asks Sonia Sotomayor About Online Court Decisions

On Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg, a host of “The View,” posed a question to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor about how individuals can locate court decisions online. Goldberg expressed that many Americans seem unsure about where to find these rulings and some even believe they aren’t publicly accessible.

“Where do people look for these decisions?” Goldberg inquired. “There’s this idea that they aren’t available to the general public. Is there a specific place?”

Sotomayor responded, clarifying, “You can find them online. Start with a simple search. For instance, yesterday’s Supreme Court decision can be searched easily. Just type in the name of the case, like Sotomayor’s objection or the NOEM Supreme Court decision. A search bar will pop up.”

The Supreme Court case in question was introduced in 2021 by Judge Mameame E. Frimon, who was appointed by President Biden. This was a response to a request from President Trump’s administration regarding the removal of certain restrictions on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

In her opposition, Sotomayor argued that ICE agents would unfairly target Latino and Spanish-speaking individuals. Other justices, like Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, also disagreed with the ruling.

Frimon directed that ICE agents take race and ethnicity into consideration, aiming to address factors such as language and work schedules when apprehending undocumented immigrants. The administration contended that the judiciary should not excessively control immigration enforcement, particularly in areas with a significant undocumented population.

Sotomayor, who was nominated by former President Obama, has expressed various concerns in several rulings, particularly regarding policies set by the Trump administration. For instance, she articulated strong opposition on June 27 concerning the authority of lower courts to issue national injunctions on judicial matters.

Additionally, in April, she highlighted that the administration might exploit wartime powers to deport certain individuals.