In the case of Illinois Central Railroad Company v. Fuentes et al., constituting the Railroad Commission of Louisiana, 1914, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Illinois Central Railroad Company (ICRC). The dispute arose when ICRC was ordered by Louisiana's state railroad commission to construct and maintain a side track for one Joseph Tardo, who owned a sawmill near ICRC's main line. This order was based on an existing law that allowed such orders if it would promote public convenience or necessity. However, ICRC argued that this law violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights as it deprived them of property without due process and equal protection under the laws since they were forced to bear all costs associated with constructing and maintaining this side track solely for Tardo’s benefit without any compensation from him or any other party involved. The court agreed with ICRC stating that while states have power over railroads within their borders; they cannot force companies to provide free services at their own expense which amounts to taking private property for public use without just compensation.

In the dissenting opinion for Illinois Central Railroad Company v. Fuentes et al., it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Louisiana law requiring railroads to provide separate but equal accommodations for black and white passengers violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection under law. The dissenters believed that this segregation inherently implied an inequality between races, thus contradicting constitutional protections against racial discrimination. They also contended that such laws were not truly aimed at promoting public welfare or safety as claimed by their proponents, but rather served merely as instruments of racial prejudice and oppression. Furthermore, they expressed concerns about potential abuses in enforcing these laws due to subjective interpretations of individuals' race by railroad employees or other officials.