Sotomayor Apologizes for Remarks Criticizing Kavanaugh

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she regrets comments she made about a colleague during a recent public appearance, acknowledging that her remarks were "inappropriate" and that she has since apologized.

"At a recent appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law, I referred to a disagreement with one of my colleagues in a prior case, but I made remarks that were inappropriate," Sotomayor said in a statement issued by the court, Politico reported.

"I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague."

The statement followed remarks Sotomayor delivered last week in Lawrence, Kansas, where she criticized a fellow justice — widely understood to be Justice Brett Kavanaugh — over his position in an immigration-related case.

While she did not name Kavanaugh directly, Sotomayor referenced his concurrence in Noem v. Perdomo, a case involving an unsigned order that allowed immigration enforcement sweeps in Los Angeles to resume.

During the appearance, Sotomayor questioned her colleague's understanding of how such enforcement actions affect workers.

"I had a colleague in that case who wrote, you know, these are only temporary stops," she said. "This is from a man whose parents were professionals. And probably doesn't really know any person who works by the hour."

In his concurrence, Kavanaugh wrote that encounters between legal residents and immigration agents are "typically brief."

Sotomayor argued that even short detentions can have significant consequences, particularly for hourly workers who may lose income or face job insecurity as a result.

She said such interactions carry "financial consequences" that may not be fully appreciated in the court's legal analysis.

The exchange highlights ongoing ideological differences among members of the court, particularly in cases involving immigration enforcement and the balance between government authority and individual rights.

However, public criticism among justices, especially comments perceived as personal, has drawn scrutiny in the past.

Sotomayor's apology marks a rare instance of a sitting justice publicly expressing regret over remarks about a colleague.

The Supreme Court has faced increasing attention in recent years over internal dynamics and public trust, including calls for greater transparency and adherence to ethical standards.

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