Author Archives: M

MSNBC: Trump’s plan to deport Afghan refugees is a national disgrace

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There’s no group more deserving of TPS than the Afghans who are now on the fast track to deportation.

Earlier this month, the United Nations published its latest update on human rights in Afghanistan. Here are a few of the findings: On Feb. 23, 18 people were flogged for “crimes” ranging from homosexuality to extramarital affairs. They then received sentences of between one and five years in prison. On March 3, “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” agents made a surprise visit to a hospital and ordered staff not to attend women who weren’t accompanied by a male relative. Between Jan. 17 and Feb. 3, 50 men from the Ismaili community were abducted and interrogated on religious subjects. Those who refused to convert to Sunni Islam were beaten and threatened with death.

This is Afghanistan under Taliban rule, and it is where the Trump administration plans to send Afghans who are now living safely in the United States. 

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Americans owe a special debt to our Afghan partners, who served honorably in and alongside our armed forces and trusted the United States to stand by them instead of abandoning their country to the Taliban. The Trump administration’s decision to betray the Afghans who thought they were safe on American soil is an act of supreme cruelty and callousness. Our Afghan friends don’t deserve a one-way ticket back to the theocracy they left behind — they deserve to be Americans.

Opinion | Afghan refugees deserve better than a one-way ticket back to the cruelty they left behind
There’s no group more deserving of TPS than the Afghans who are now on the fast track to deportation.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-ends-afghan-protections-afrikaners-rcna207127

MSNBC: The Trump administration is in talks about a disturbing reality TV show idea

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A show in which immigrant contestants vie for U.S. citizenship would be a natural extension of Trump’s cruel gamification of social life.

The Department of Homeland Security is in talks with a reality T.V. show producer about a game show in which immigrant contestants would compete for U.S. citizenship. What would be a shocking story for any other White House is a fitting development for an administration fixated on melding policy with sadistic entertainment.

According to The Wall Street Journal, television producer Rob Worsoff says he has been pitching the idea for the show as far back as the Obama administration, but the project didn’t come together. Worsoff, whose credits include the reality show “Duck Dynasty,” told the Journal that the show is meant to be hopeful, that the contestants would be legal immigrants, and that losing would not result in deportation.

It’s unclear how far along the process is, but the Journal reports that DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin “said she had spoken to the producer of the proposed television reality show and that consideration of the idea was ongoing,” and Worsoff described the feedback from DHS as positive.

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Huge swaths of the migrant population in the U.S. are made up of people attempting to escape persecution, violence and destitution. It seems cruel to derive entertainment from people desperate to stay in the country as so many others are expelled as part of a right-wing nationalist campaign.

Even if this show doesn’t come to fruition, the fact that the Trump administration is even considering it — and unafraid to admit it to reporters — is damning. It’s also unsurprising, insofar as the administration has often sought to use art and memes that celebrate the pain of migrants to help give license to its brutal mass deportation regime.

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Trump and those around him are quick to turn everything into a game or a laugh, most often at the expense of those most vulnerable among us.

Opinion | Trump’s DHS is considering making immigration into a twisted reality TV show
The Department of Homeland Security is in talks with a reality T.V. show producer about a game show in which immigrant contestants would compete for U.S.

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/blog/trump-admin-dhs-kristi-noem-reality-tv-us-citizenship-show-rcna207238

MSNBC: In remarks to U.S. troops, Trump renews talk of a third term, despite the Constitution

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When a president suggests to U.S. troops that he’s considering a plan in which he might betray constitutional law, that’s a problem

Presidents from both parties have long recognized the importance of the United States having apolitical military. To mix partisanship and the armed forces is to undermine foundational American principles.

It was against this backdrop that Donald Trump addressed U.S. troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, where he spoke to uniformed troops as if they were his supporters at a campaign rally. “There’s nobody been stronger than the military in terms of backing us, nobody. So I just want to thank you all,” the president said — propriety and American norms be damned.

But that’s not all he said.

“As you know, we won three elections, OK?” Trump told the troops. “And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know, I’ll have to think about that.”

He proceeded to talk up his caps that feature the words “Trump 2028,” which he referred to as “the hottest hat.”

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Commenting on autocracies around the world that have consolidated power, [Scott Cummings, a professor of legal ethics at the UCLA School of Law] noted that in none of these countries “do leaders do all the things that Trump is doing, take aim at all of these independent institutions, and then just walk away.” Rather, the professor added, authoritarians take these steps because they intend “to stay in power permanently.”

In remarks to U.S. troops, Trump renews talk of a third term, despite the Constitution
When a president suggests to U.S. troops that he’s considering a plan in which he might betray constitutional law, that’s a problem.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/remarks-us-troops-trump-renews-talk-third-term-constitution-rcna207236

MSNBC: The biggest takeaway from SCOTUS’ birthright citizenship hearing is not an obvious one

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The administration’s top lawyer is telling the court it doesn’t believe it has to comply with lower court orders in all circumstances.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over Donald Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, but the biggest takeaway from those arguments has nothing to do with birthright citizenship at all. Instead, perhaps the most important moment of Thursday’s hearing came when the Trump administration’s top appellate lawyer (who was previously Trump’s personal Supreme Court advocate), Solicitor General D. John Sauer, revealed a troubling sign of creeping authoritarianism.

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Here’s what that means in plain English: The Trump administration, through its top lawyer, is telling the Supreme Court that it doesn’t believe it has to comply with lower court orders in all circumstances. And contrary to Sauer’s assertion, that finds no support in long-standing DOJ policy, much less department norms.

It’s one thing to hear political actors — whether that’s the White House press secretary or even Vice President JD Vance — assert that the administration should not be bound by federal court orders it considers lawless. But it’s another thing entirely to hear the administration’s top appeals lawyer say as much in front of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Lisa Rubin: The biggest takeaway from SCOTUS’ birthright citizenship hearing is not an obvious one
The administration’s top lawyer is telling the court it doesn’t believe it has to comply with lower court orders in all circumstances.

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-authoritarianism-rcna207270

MSNBC: Supreme Court says Trump needs to give more notice in Alien Enemies Act deportations

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The court previously granted Texas detainees emergency relief, over dissent from Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

The Supreme Court on Friday extended its block on the Trump administration’s ability to immediately deport a group of migrants in Texas under the Alien Enemies Act.

The court had already blocked such deportations in a previous order and, in Friday’s ruling, said more notice before carrying out deportations is needed, sending the case back to the lower court for further litigation. The court did not decide the underlying question of Trump’s use of the wartime act to carry out deportations.

Supreme Court says Trump needs to give more notice in Alien Enemies Act deportations
The court previously granted Texas detainees emergency relief, over dissent from Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act-deportations-trump-rcna202101

DMR News: DOGE Engineer’s Computer Infected by Malware, Leaked Data Exposed Online

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The controversies surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continue as a software engineer becomes the latest victim of a data breach. A report from Dropsite News (via ArsTechnica) revealed that a DOGE software engineer’s computer was infected by info-stealing malware. The affected engineer, Kyle Schutt, is not only a staff member at DOGE but also works for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

According to the report, Schutt previously had access to a core financial management system at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which he was evaluating while working with DOGE. It is suspected that Schutt had exposure to sensitive FEMA data, which pertains to the security of civilian federal networks and the United States’ critical infrastructure.

The bad actors behind the malware attack were able to access Schutt’s computer, and the stolen data was subsequently leaked online through a “stealer logs” database. Schutt’s credentials were shared multiple times, with the first occurrence happening in 2023. The report also stated that Schutt appeared in 51 data breaches since the infection, though there’s no indication that his files were fully compromised.

DOGE Engineer’s Computer Infected by Malware, Leaked Data Exposed Online
The controversies surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continue as a software engineer becomes the latest victim of a data breach. A
DOGE Engineer’s Computer Infected by Malware, Leaked Data Exposed Online

Daily Express: Supreme Court justice mocks Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship

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The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to consider ending the judicial power for sweeping injunctions, but did not ask for a ruling on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship.

President Donald Trump has been ridiculed by Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan after he proposed to put an end to birthright citizenship.

Appointed by former President Barack Obama, Kagan chastised the U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer for not challenging Trump’s orders and for challenging the judicial authority to issue nationwide injunctions, a move that makes no sense for the administration’s ultimate goal.

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“Nobody is going to lose this case,” Kagan said, stating that any parent whose kids are denied American citizenship can uphold the 14th Amendment, which guarantees the right of citizenship to anyone born on American soil.

“It’s just, you’re going to have, like, individual by individual by individual, and all of those individuals are going to win,” Kagan said.

She added that the only people who could lose are the ones who cannot afford to challenge the administration.

Before Sauer could answer, Kagan cut him off again.

Sauer began, “The tools that are provided to address hypotheticals like this…”

And a coup de grâce from Justice Kagan:

“This is not a hypothetical. This is happening out there, right? Every court has ruled against you,” Kagan said.

Supreme Court justice mocks Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to consider ending the judicial power for sweeping injunctions, but did not ask for a ruling on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship.

https://www.the-express.com/news/politics/171847/supreme-court-justice-mocks-trumps

Raw Story: ‘Oof’: Legal experts shocked by Trump DOJ proposal revealed in big Supreme Court hearing

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University of Michigan law professor Leah Litman wrote her own comical paraphrasing of U.S. Supreme Court justices’ comments. In one case, she pointed out Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s “partial list of the SCOTUS precedents (4) this order violates.”

Litman then paraphrased Chief Justice John Roberts in her own words.

“Chief: let’s stop this murder, please,” she quipped.

In one exchange, Justice Elena Kagan asked, if they assume this is a completely illegal executive order, how do the courts actually stop it?

Sauer said it would file a class action.

Kagan said that he would then argue that there isn’t a class to certify under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Sauer agreed, so Kagan asked what other options there were.

Sauer suggested every affected individual would sue.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned if Sauer was seriously proposing such an idea.

Litman wrote her own paraphrasing: “Oh dang Elena Kagan ‘assume you’re really f—— wrong and this order is wildly illegal. Are you saying every individual child has to sue to establish their citizenship?'”

Lawyer and journalist at Rewire, Imani Gandy commented, “Every child of undocumented immigrants has to file their own lawsuit. Millions of lawsuits. Makes perfect sense.”

Civil litigator Owen Barcala posted on Bluesky, “This is such a good point, I’m frustrated I didn’t see it. If the gov issues a clearly illegal order that applies to millions and it is losing in every individual case, why would it ever appeal the losses? So what if they can’t enforce it as to a dozen people if they can still do it for millions?”

MSNBC and Just Security legal analyst Adam Klasfeld cited a debate between Sotomayor and Solicitor General John Sauer.

“Sotomayor notes that barring nationwide injunctions, as the Trump admin asks, would mean that courts would be powerless to stop a ‘clearly, indisputably unconstitutional’ act, taking every gun from every citizen. We couldn’t stop that?” Klasfeld posted on Bluesky, quoting the justice.

&c.

https://www.rawstory.com/birthright-citizenship-2672024689

Daily Beast: Judge Arrested by Trump Administration Fights Back With Trump’s Own Immunity Case

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A Milwaukee judge who was arrested for allegedly shielding an undocumented immigrant from ICE arrest has argued that she can’t be prosecuted based on the same case that granted President Donald Trump broad immunity for “official” acts.

The FBI arrested Hannah Dugan last month after she allegedly told agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they needed a warrant to arrest an undocumented immigrant who had appeared in her courtroom on a misdemeanor charge.

FBI Director Kash Patel accused Dugan in a social media post of “intentionally misdirecting federal agents away” from the man, a Mexican immigrant named Eduardo Flores Ruiz who was nevertheless arrested outside the courthouse.

Dugan was indicted on Tuesday for allegedly concealing a person from arrest and obstruction. A day later, her lawyers argued in a motion to dismiss the case that Dugan is “no ordinary criminal defendant.”

The motion argued that the problems with the prosecution were “legion,” including the fact that they allegedly violated the U.S. Constitution’s fundamental principle of federalism. But “most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” it said.

Judge Arrested by Trump Administration Fights Back With Trump’s Own Immunity Case
Judge Hannah Dugan’s lawyers argued that she cannot be prosecuted for her official conduct.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-arrested-by-trump-administration-fights-back-with-trumps-own-immunity-case

Wall Street Journal: In Immigration Crackdown, Migrants Are Denied a Day in Court

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U.S. officials say migrants aren’t entitled to due process provided by the Constitution, accusing them with little proof of membership in a violent gang

El Paso immigration judge Michael S. Pleters was incredulous. He had expected to hear a request from Henrry Albornoz Quintero for political asylum in the U.S., but though the Venezuelan had been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he was absent the day of his April hearing.

“He’s disappeared? What happened?” the judge asked.

?url=httpswww.wsj.compoliticspolicytrump-immigration-due-process-90e82ff8

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-immigration-due-process-90e82ff8

Washington Post: They were arrested during routine ICE check-ins. Then they disappeared.

Deportation proceedings are often shrouded in secrecy. But lawyers say the lack of information about the Venezuelan migrants deported under the Alien Enemies Act is nearly unprecedented.

Henrry Albornoz Quintero’s family had been tracking his whereabouts through an online detainee locator ever since he was arrested and put in deportation proceedings after a routine check-in with immigration officials in late January.

But on Friday — less than a week before the expected birth of his son — the Venezuelan man disappeared from the database.

“Your search has returned zero (0) matching records,” the government website states.

The families and lawyers of dozens of other Venezuelan and Salvadoran men who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say their relatives and clients have similarly disappeared over the past week, with no explanation provided by the government over where they may be.

They were arrested during routine ICE check-ins. Then they disappeared.
Deportation proceedings are often shrouded in secrecy. But lawyers say the lack of information about the Venezuelan migrants deported under the Alien Enemies Act is nearly unprecedented.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/22/trump-venezuela-migrants-el-salvador