Today I want to speak about Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo — a Supreme Court ruling that affects not just law, but who we are as a nation — and especially about one justice’s dissent that stands as a moral compass in the storm.

The Ruling: What Happened

In Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority stayed an injunction that had barred ICE in Los Angeles from arrests based solely on factors like race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or accented English, being found in certain locations, or working certain types of low-wage jobs. The district court had found that ICE was relying on those four factors alone in many cases, which the Fourth Amendment forbids.

The Supreme Court permitted the government to resume those kinds of detentions under that standard, even though no detailed majority opinion was published. The public only knows who is responsible, and the full force of what’s allowed now, because of Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent.

Justice Sotomayor: Her Wisdom and Her Words

Justice Sotomayor’s dissent is not just a legal disagreement. It is an act of truth-telling. She writes:

“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.” 

These words cut to the heart of what is at stake. They force us to acknowledge that policy, when unrestrained, can touch innocent lives in ways that tear at the fabric of justice.

She continues:

“Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.” 

In those few words, she reminds us that rights do not defend themselves. They depend on someone speaking up even when the cost is high, even when the majority is quiet.

Why Her Dissent Matters

* Naming the harm: Justice Sotomayor does more than identify legal error. She names the human toll — people seized because of their appearance, language, type of work. She calls out the injustice by telling us plainly: “looks Latino … speaks Spanish.” Those are not abstractions, but people’s lives.

* Moral clarity: The phrase “while our constitutional freedoms are lost” is chilling because it suggests we are already losing them — or letting them slip away. She doesn’t wait for them to go; she challenges us not to.

* Courage in dissent: In the face of a decision made without full court procedure—without argument, without a signed majority opinion—she stands alone (joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson) to preserve the idea that constitutional protections mean something. She does not allow the marginalized to be erased by silence or ambiguity.

Lessons & Charge for Us

We learn from her that:

* Words have power, especially when spoken in courage. Her dissent is more than dissent — it is a warning. It is a mirror for what America promises to be.

* Constitutional rights depend on vigilance. The language of the law is fragile if those sworn to uphold it remain silent.

* Each generation must defend justice. Her dissent is an invitation: not to be mere spectators, but participants. To ensure that rights aren’t conditional on language, race, or job, but universal.

Conclusion: Her Voice, Our Responsibility

Justice Sotomayor has raised her voice in this case with precision, force, and conviction. Her words—“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” — will echo long after this ruling unless we do more than remember them.

As she says, “Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.” Let us not stand idly by. Let us take her dissent as our rallying cry. To speak, to organize, to defend what should never have to be defended: equal justice under the law.

Thank you.

A federal appeals court just struck down Trump’s tariffs. Learn what means for you on today’s episode of Affording Your Life.

Today, Americans are facing an affordability crisis. We’re here after years of union busting, lax antitrust enforcement and corporate takeover of our democracy and now, fascism and oligarchy reigning over our society. So this Labor Day, I want to tell you about a woman whose courage, vision, and persistence transformed America and the American workplace: a woman who truly knew the meaning of affording your life, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins.

When President Franklin Roosevelt appointed her in 1933, Perkins became the first woman in U.S. history to serve in the Cabinet. But she was more than a symbol—she was a reformer, a fighter, and the architect of many of the protections we now take for granted.

She came into office at the height of the Great Depression, when millions of Americans were out of work, when wages were low, hours were long, and protections were almost nonexistent. Frances Perkins had already seen the consequences of unsafe working conditions firsthand. As a young woman, she had watched the flames of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, when 146 garment workers—mostly immigrant women—died because they were locked inside a burning building. That tragedy seared into her the determination to make workers’ lives safer, fairer, and more dignified.

As Secretary of Labor, Perkins set out an ambitious agenda—and she achieved it. She helped design and implement the Social Security Act of 1935, which for the first time gave Americans a system of old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to families in need. She championed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established the minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, and restrictions on child labor. She was instrumental in creating the Civilian Conservation Corps and Public Works Administration, which gave jobs to millions.

Her guiding principle was simple but powerful: that the government has a responsibility to protect workers from exploitation and to ensure that prosperity is shared, not hoarded.

Frances Perkins knew these reforms would not come easily. She faced resistance not only from business interests but also from members of Congress and even some within the Roosevelt administration. Yet she persisted. With intelligence, patience, and moral conviction, she turned ideas that seemed radical into law.

Her legacy lives with us every day. When you receive a paycheck that honors overtime pay, when you see a child in school instead of working in a factory, when you know that your retirement is backed by Social Security—those are the reforms of Frances Perkins.

She once said, “The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.”

This Labor Day, remember Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, a true Affording Your Life visionary.