Sotomayor Apologizes For Remarks About Kavanaugh's Immigration Concurrence
Sotomayor apologized for 'inappropriate' remarks made at the University of Kansas School of Law about Kavanaugh's September 2025 immigration concurrence, saying she regretted her 'hurtful' comments, the court said.
CBS NewsSotomayor apologizes for criticizing Kavanaugh over ICE arrests, in rare public Supreme Court clash
FOX NewsSotomayor walks back remarks criticizing Kavanaugh, says comments were 'inappropriate'
Daily BeastSCOTUS Feud Blows Up as Justice Issues Rare Apology
ABC NewsJustice Sotomayor apologizes to Justice Kavanaugh for public criticism of immigration opinion
Overview
Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a public apology Wednesday saying her remarks about a colleague were "inappropriate" and that she regretted her "hurtful" words, the court said in a statement.
She made the comments at the University of Kansas School of Law last week while criticizing Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence in a September 2025 order that cleared the way for ICE to resume broad sweeps in Los Angeles.
In her 2025 dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sotomayor warned the government could "seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job," and some Kavanaugh allies had called for an apology.
Kavanaugh's concurrence said apparent ethnicity can be a "relevant factor" and that immigration encounters are typically "brief," while liberal groups and immigrant advocates have criticized the opinion as understating how intrusive such stops can be.
The justices return to the bench next week to begin their April oral-argument session as the court gears up to issue major rulings before the term concludes at the end of June.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as institutional tension, highlighting Sotomayor’s apology while foregrounding her personal background and the ideological split. Editorial choices—labeling justices by ideology, including sympathetic context about Sotomayor’s upbringing, quoting other liberal justices, and omitting a Kavanaugh response—collectively emphasize courtroom discord.