Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Wednesday appeared at a speaking event at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda as protesters condemned the recent ruling that allows immigration agents to stop and question people based on their race, accent and jobs.
Justice Barrett had a conversation with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, discussing her personal life, judicial philosophy as well as her approach to the Constitution as 500 people watched from the audience.
Her appearance in Orange County coincides with the release of a new book “Listing to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.”
Barrett said she wanted to write the book to help Americans understand how the courts work.
“I want people to have confidence in the institution.” the justice said.
Barrett did not take questions from the audience during the event. But dozens of protesters outside the library had a lot to say as they expressed their anger at the high court’s decision to lift restrictions on immigration stops.
“If you are on American soil you are protected as a person, documented or not,” said Melvin Vernon who participated in the anti-ICE rally outside the Nixon Library.
Another protester said the Supreme Court’s decision on immigration affects his family personally.
“I have two sons: one is brown, and one is white with blue eyes,” Louis Olvera said. “(Federal agents) are going to go to my son who’s brown, and he’s from here.”
Barrett did not address the protester outside during her appearance, but she highlighted that her job as a justice is to deliver decisions, not based on politics or personal preference.
“I want people to understand that we’re not just one of the political branches, that this is very much a legal process driven by legal analysis,” she said.
Barrett, 53, is the youngest member of the Supreme Court and a mother of seven children.