Sonia Sotomayor apologizes to Brett Kavanaugh over 'hurtful' remarks

Key Points:

• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor apologized for making inappropriate and hurtful remarks about Justice Brett Kavanaugh's upbringing during a recent public appearance, expressing regret and having apologized to Kavanaugh privately.
• The comments were made in response to Kavanaugh's opinion supporting broad immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles, where he justified law enforcement stops based on community demographics and work patterns.
• Sotomayor's remarks highlighted personal and ideological divisions on the court, contrasting her Bronx public housing background with Kavanaugh's suburban Maryland upbringing, revealing tensions beneath the court's traditionally collegial public image.
• Other justices, including liberal Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Clarence Thomas, have also publicly acknowledged fraying relationships and civility issues on the Supreme Court amid heightened political polarization.
• The court is approaching major rulings at the end of its term in June, a time when internal tensions and public scrutiny often intensify.