Supreme Court Justice Apologizes for Comments on Immigration Ruling

On Wednesday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an apology for remarks she made about a colleague during a talk at the University of Kansas School of Law. Her comments seemed directed at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s perspective on immigration enforcement, which she described as “hurtful” in a statement from the Supreme Court.

While not naming Kavanaugh directly, she criticized a position that he took in a recent case. Sotomayor expressed concern that Kavanaugh, in supporting an unsigned order to resume immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, failed to recognize the broader implications of such actions. “I had a colleague in that case who wrote that these are only temporary suspensions,” she remarked.

Kavanaugh’s opinion suggested that interactions between legal residents and immigration officials are often brief, allowing for immediate release if individuals confirm their citizenship. This, however, did not sit well with Sotomayor. She argued that even short detentions can create serious economic challenges for hourly workers—an issue she feels Kavanaugh did not fully appreciate.

In response to her earlier remarks, the Supreme Court acknowledged that she made “inappropriate comments” regarding her colleague. “I regret the hurtful comments I made,” Sotomayor said in her statement. “I apologized to my colleague,” she added, reflecting on her personal experiences that shape her judicial thinking.

Justice Sotomayor noted that her background has taught her to perceive issues—like racial profiling—differently, particularly as the first Hispanic justice on the court. Her experiences, she believes, give her insights others may overlook.