Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Knewz: CBP detains mom with green card over marijuana conviction from decades ago

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A Massachusetts mother of four and longtime U.S. resident has been released from immigration custody after being detained earlier this month at Boston Logan International Airport over a decades-old marijuana conviction. Knewz.com has learned that Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, 42, had traveled to Mexico with her family on vacation and was stopped by Customs and Border Protection upon reentry despite holding a recently renewed green card.

The Massachusetts mom was detained after returning from vacation

On August 11, Rosa returned to the United States with her husband and children. Her husband, Marcel Rosa, said he handed over the family’s passports and his wife’s green card before officers escorted her into a private room. She was then held at Logan Airport for four days. According to her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, she was denied access to a phone, her medications and basic hygiene. “She has diabetes, high blood pressure, mental health issues,” Pomerleau told Newsweek. He added that she was twice hospitalized in those first days of detention. After that period, Rosa was transferred to a detention facility in Maine. “She was in such poor condition that she could barely walk or function,” Pomerleau said.

No official explanation provided for her detention

Pomerleau said he was never given an official explanation for Rosa’s detention, but he believes it stemmed from a 2003 misdemeanor possession charge for a small amount of marijuana. “At most, it could have possibly been a 2003 possession charge for a small amount of marijuana, which was pardoned fully and unconditionally by the governor of Massachusetts. The records were sealed, which means they never would have even had access to them without gaining special permission from the court.” Pomerleau later challenged the old conviction in Roxbury district court, arguing that Rosa did not receive adequate legal counsel when she entered her plea two decades earlier. The judge and prosecutor agreed, vacating the conviction and dismissing the case.

She was later released

Pomerleau filed an emergency motion demanding Rosa’s release, noting she had never been served with a notice to appear. Later that day, she was freed. Her husband described her detention as devastating for the family. In a GoFundMe post, he wrote, “Jemmy is a valid green card holder who was born in Peru and came to the U.S. at the age of 9. No reason for the arrest has been given. She has been held without receiving proper medical care. … Jemmy is very selfless, constantly trying to help out family and friends. Everything’s about the kids with her.” The fundraiser has collected more than $12,500 for legal expenses. Pomerleau said her case illustrates the risks many legal immigrants face under current enforcement policies. “There needs to be fundamental change. Hopefully our case sheds light on the travesty of justice,” he said.

Her detention came amidst broader immigration crackdown

Rosa’s case unfolded against the backdrop of an immigration administration crackdown that has swept up immigrants with legal status as well as undocumented residents. A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement, “A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused. Lawful Permanent Residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention and/or may be asked to provide additional documentation to be set up for an immigration hearing.” However, Pomerleau criticized the government’s actions, saying, “What is happening now is unprecedented. It’s an assault on the rule of law and due process.” Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch said the episode raised “red flags in terms of the delay and what services are available to her as a legal permanent resident.”

CBP detains mom with green card over marijuana conviction from decades ago
A Massachusetts mother has been released from immigration custody after being detained over a decades-old marijuana conviction.

https://knewz.com/cbp-officers-detain-mom-with-green-card-over-marijuana-conviction-from-decades-ago

Associated Press: US hiring stalls with employers reluctant to expand in an economy grown increasingly erratic

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The American job market, a pillar of U.S. economic strength since the pandemic, is crumbling under the weight of President Donald Trump’s erratic economic policies.

Uncertain about where things are headed, companies have grown increasingly reluctant to hire, leaving agonized jobseekers unable to find work and weighing on consumers who account for 70% of all U.S. economic activity. Their spending has been the engine behind the world’s biggest economy since the COVID-19 disruptions of 2020.

The Labor Department reported Friday that U.S. employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — added just 22,000 jobs last month, down from 79,000 in July and well below the 80,000 that economists had expected.

The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3% last month, also worse than expected and the highest since 2021.

“U.S. labor market deterioration intensified in August,’’ Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist at BMO Capital Market, wrote in a commentary, noting that hiring was “slumping dangerously close to stall speed. This raises the risk of a harder landing for consumer spending and the economy in the months ahead.’’

Alexa Mamoulides, 27, was laid off in the spring from a job at a research publishing company and has been hunting for work ever since. She uses a spreadsheet to track her progress and said she’s applied for 111 positions and had 14 interviews — but hasn’t landed a job yet.

Bubba Trump is doing a splendid job of trashing our economy! And unfortunately, it’s only just begun.

US hiring stalls with employers reluctant to expand in an economy grown increasingly erratic
The American job market, a pillar of U.S. economic strength since the pandemic, is crumbling under the weight of President Donald Trump’s erratic economic policies.

https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-unemployment-trump-firing-f686eab61f7d6b702ca10b12b0250498

BBC: Judge overturns Trump administration funding cuts to Harvard

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A US federal court has overturned billions in funding cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration to Harvard University.

Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the government violated the Ivy League college’s free speech rights when it revoked around $2bn (£1.5bn) in research grants.

The ruling is a major legal victory for Harvard, but the White House has vowed to appeal. When it froze funding in April, the Trump administration accused the college of antisemitism, “radical left” ideologies and racial bias.

Three other Ivy League universities, Columbia, Penn and Brown, struck deals with Trump to preserve funding that was at risk due to similar claims by the administration, rather than go to court.

Boston-based Judge Burroughs wrote in Wednesday’s ruling: “The Court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters as violative of the First Amendment.”

She blocked the administration from stopping any more federal funding to the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based college and barred the government from withholding payment on existing grants.

The White House said they would immediately challenge the “egregious decision” and called the judge an “activist” who was appointed by former President Barack Obama and was never going to rule in their favour.

“Harvard does not have a constitutional right to taxpayer dollars and remains ineligible for grants in the future,” assistant press secretary Liz Huston said.

Alan Garber, president of the university, said in a statement on their website that “the ruling affirms Harvard’s First Amendment and procedural rights”.

“We will continue to assess the implications of the opinion, monitor further legal developments, and be mindful of the changing landscape in which we seek to fulfill our mission,” he added.

Judge Burroughs wrote in her 84-page decision that Harvard should have done more to deal with antisemitism, which she said had “plagued” the institution in recent years.

“Harvard was wrong to tolerate hateful behavior for as long as it did,” wrote the judge.

But she said that fighting antisemitism was not the Trump administration’s “true aim” in penalising the nation’s oldest and richest university.

She suggested the government had “used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities”.

Judge Burroughs has previously blocked Trump’s efforts to prevent Harvard from hosting international students.

The university sued the Trump administration over the funding freeze in April, while also pledging to fight antisemitism.

Harvard’s president said no government “should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue”.

Trump has also threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and take control of the university’s patents stemming from federally funded research.

The government has been discussing with Harvard a potential deal to unfreeze federal funding. Trump has said he wants the university to pay no less than $500m.

Harvard: Judge overturns Trump’s research funding cuts at school
A court rules the Ivy League college’s free speech rights were violated, but the White House vows to appeal.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2x7x03gjo

Miami Herald: ‘It’s Outrageous’: Lawsuit Targets Alleged ICE Violations

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Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reportedly detained Canton resident Jemmy Lindsay Jimenez Rosa over a decades-old marijuana conviction, sparking backlash due to her need for medication and certain necessities. Attorney Todd Pomerleau has challenged the plea, and a Massachusetts judge later dismissed the conviction. Rosa, 42, had been stopped and questioned by officers while returning from a family trip.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “Under Secretary Noem, we are delivering on President Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe. Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst and carry out the largest deportation operation of criminal aliens in American history.”

Rosa’s husband, Marcel Rosa, is a U.S. citizen. He noted that he had presented their passports and her renewed green card upon arrival.

Marcel said, “I walked in, and my wife’s head was just down, and you could tell her whole spirit was just crushed.” He added, “I just told my kids, I was like, hey girls… this might be the last time you see your mother.”

Pomerleau said he was first denied access and that Rosa needed hospital care during detention. He argued she lacked proper counsel when pleading to misdemeanor possession and sought to vacate the conviction.

Pomerleau stated, “The judge and prosecutor were shocked at the way she had been treated.” He added, “It’s outrageous … beyond the pale. These are people that have been in the system their whole lives, who have great jobs and pay taxes.”

A judge and prosecutor dismissed the case in state court, clearing her record. Despite the dismissal, federal authorities transferred her to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where she has been able to contact family and counsel.

The family said the detention has traumatized the children and noted Rosa’s health conditions. Pomerleau has filed a lawsuit over due-process violations, and a bond hearing is set for later in August.

‘It’s Outrageous’: Lawsuit Targets Alleged ICE Violations
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reportedly detained Canton resident Jemmy Lindsay Jimenez Rosa over a decades-old marijuana conviction, sparking backlash due to her need for medication and certain necessities. Attorney Todd Pomerleau has challenged the plea, and a Massachusetts judge later dismissed the conviction. Rosa, 42, had been stopped and questioned by officers whileContinue reading ”‘It’s Outrageous’: Lawsuit Targets Alleged ICE…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/it-s-outrageous-lawsuit-targets-alleged-ice-violations/ar-AA1LAqKr

New Civil Rights Movement: ‘Frogs in a Boiling Pot’: Trump Blasted After Again Insisting ‘I’m Not a Dictator’

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For the second day in a row, President Donald Trump insisted he is not a dictator, but also insisted that many Americans would like to have one running the country. Some critics are calling his remarks a “trial balloon.”

“So the line is that I’m a dictator — but I stop crime,” Trump said at his televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (video below). “So a lot of people say, ‘You know, if that’s the case, I’d rather have a dictator.’ But I’m not a dictator. I just know how to stop crime.”

Those remarks echo ones he made just one day earlier in the Oval Office while attacking Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker.

“I have some slob like Pritzker criticizing us before we even go there,” he said of his plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. “I made the statement that next should be Chicago, ’cause, as you all know, Chicago’s a killing field right now. And they don’t acknowledge it, and they say, ‘We don’t need him. Freedom, freedom. He’s a dictator, he’s a dictator.’”

“A lot of people are saying, maybe we like a dictator,” Trump mused. “I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.”

Declaring that an American president “even suggesting that Americans want to do away with democracy and be ruled” by a dictator is “chilling,” Rolling Stone on Monday noted that “Trump has been ruling like an authoritarian since retaking office in January, repeatedly thumbing his nose at Congress, the Constitution, and any other check on presidential power.”

CNN’s Aaron Blake, even before Trump’s second “I’m not a dictator” attestation, wrote: “Many people are increasingly entertaining the idea of a dictator. They are his supporters.”

“They don’t necessarily say, ‘Yes, I want a dictator.’ But polling shows Republicans have edged in that direction – to a pretty remarkable degree.”

“Perhaps the most startling poll on this came last year,” Blake explained. “A University of Massachusetts Amherst survey asked about Trump’s comment that he wanted to be a dictator, but only for a day,” during the campaign. “Trump said it was a joke, but 74% of Republicans endorsed the idea.”

He noted that a “Pew Research Center poll early this year showed 59% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents agreed that many of the country’s problems could be better solved ‘if Donald Trump didn’t have to worry so much about Congress and the courts.’”

And, Blake added, “as many 3 or 4 in 10” Republicans, according to several polls, are “endorsing that kind of power.”

Critics expressed outrage.

Journalist Ahmed Baba observed: “This is the second day in a row he’s said this. This is an intentional normalization effort.”

Journalist Aaron Rupar wrote, “note how Trump on a daily basis is trying to normalize the idea that he’s a dictator.”

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) wrote: “Deploying the military to cities. Breaking laws. Attacking judges. Firing generals, economists, and central bankers who speak truth to power. Praising autocrats who hate America. Republican officials have given up on the rule of law. They obey the law of the ruler. But in America, law is king.”

Hedge fund manager Spencer Hakimian wrote: “You are all frogs in a boiling pot.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

‘Frogs in a Boiling Pot’: Trump Blasted After Again Insisting ‘I’m Not a Dictator’
For the second day in a row, President Donald Trump insisted he is not a dictator, but also insisted that many Americans would like to have one running the country. Some critics are calling his remarks a “trial balloon.” “So the line is that I’m a dictator — but I stop crime,” Trump said at […]
‘Frogs in a Boiling Pot’: Trump Blasted After Again Insisting ‘I’m Not a Dictator’

Newsweek: Trump admin plans new time limit for foreign students in US

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The Trump administration is proposing new four-year time limits on student, exchange and media visa holders, as part of plans to tighten up immigration rules.

In a proposal filed in the Federal Register on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intention to modify the F, J, and I visa categories.

“If enacted, this rule would create additional uncertainty, intrude on academic decision-making, increase bureaucratic hurdles and risk deterring international students, researchers and scholars from coming to the United States,” Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, told Newsweek.

Why It Matters

Student visa holders have been a focus of immigration enforcement under the second Trump administration, with many having their legal status revoked and interviews for new applicants paused for several weeks. This latest proposal revisits a plan from President Donald Trump‘s first term.

What To Know

The DHS said that, unlike many other visa types, F, J, and I visas currently do not have time limits; instead, they require holders to adhere to the rules of their respective visas. Under the new plan, four-year limits would be imposed, aimed at stopping lengthy visa overstays.

The three categories cover foreign students, exchange visitors—such as summer workers, au pairs, and medical students—and those in foreign media.

The DHS memo stated that part of the reason for seeking the new limits was due to the “dramatic rise” in these visas, with F visas (used by international students) increasing from 260,000 in 1981 to 1.6 million in 2023.

J visas (used by some students, academics, medical professionals, au pairs and other such visitors) experienced a 250 percent increase between 1985 and 2023, rising from 141,200 to approximately 500,000, while I visas (for media) also doubled during the same period.

The DHS stated that this posed a challenge to its agencies when it came to monitoring individuals in the U.S. with such visa types, and that a fixed-term approach would be more effective in managing immigration numbers.

For student visa holders, under the new proposal, they would have to either apply for a change in status at the end of their term (i.e., for an H-1B or other work-based visa) or ask for an extension of their F-1 visa if they have not completed their studies. Similar parameters would apply to I and J visa holders.

The Trump administration’s efforts to withdraw legal status for students and hold up interviews at the embassy stage have faced and lost to legal challenges in recent months, with student and exchange visitor advocates arguing that these programs deliver significant benefits to the U.S. economy.

What People Are Saying

Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, told Newsweek: “The proposed rule is yet another unnecessary and counterproductive measure targeting international students and scholars. It would require them to repeatedly submit additional applications just to remain in the country and fulfill requirements of their academic programs—imposing significant burdens on students, colleges and universities, and federal agencies alike.”

A DHS Spokesperson, in a statement shared with Newsweek: “For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens. This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and history.”

What Happens Next

DHS will now welcome comments and feedback on the proposals. When the idea was floated in 2020, over 32,000 comments were submitted, many of which were against the idea, which was subsequently scrapped by the Biden administration.

This makes zero sense to me. The longer students are here, the more educated & skilled they presumably become, and we should want them to stay longer … perhaps permanently.

Trump admin plans new time limit for foreign students in US
The changes would also affect exchange visitors and foreign media with temporary visas.

https://www.newsweek.com/student-exchange-visa-changes-proposal-trump-administration-2120179

Atlanta Black Star News: ‘Can’t Hang Out with the KKK’: MAGA World Seethes After Jasmine Crockett Exposes Why Black Voters Reject the Republican Party

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“… Listen, most Black people are not Republicans simply because we just is like, ‘Y’all racist. I can’t hang out with the KKK and them.’ That’s really what it is,” Crockett said.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is drawing attention online with a fresh set of fiery remarks about why most Black people don’t side with the Republican Party.

The Texas House Democrat was part of a panel discussion at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, where she delivered her viewpoint on where many Black Americans stand when it comes to the GOP.

“I talk to Black folk all the time as somebody that’s a child of a preacher. Listen, most Black people are not Republicans simply because we just is like, ‘Y’all racist. I can’t hang out with the KKK and them.’ That’s really what it is,” Crockett said.

She continued: “But when we think about who we are as Black people, and we think about where we come from, most Black people have very conservative values, right? But the reality is that like, we just can’t side with like the neo-Nazis and them. We like, ‘We not-, we not dealing with y’all like that, right?’”

Crockett’s remarks were part of a larger discussion about rousing the Democratic Party to take bolder action in Congress to pass more legislation and advance its agenda.

‘Deflect & Divert’: Trump Pulls Melania Into Scandal as She Targets Hunter Biden, But His Savage Comeback Turns the Tables

The Texas representative has earned notoriety nationwide in recent years as one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress.

But on several occasions, her remarks have often landed her in hot water, especially with MAGA voters.

In this case, much of the backlash she’s drawing online is linked to how she affiliated the Grand Old Party with the KKK.

“The democrats were the KKK. She’s such a liar,” one X user wrote.

“Let’s get the facts straight: The Ku Klux Klan was founded and run by Democrats during the Reconstruction era, not Republicans,” another person added. “Crockett’s claim that Black people avoid the Republican Party because of perceived ties to the KKK is not just misleading—it’s a deliberate distortion of history. The realignment during the Civil Rights Movement saw many segregationist Democrats switch to the Republican Party, a fact she conveniently ignores.”

While many critics tried to teach Crockett an incomplete history lesson, some flung insults at the congresswoman and accused her of reverse racism.

“How embarrassing that she speaks in that ghetto Ebonics trash. She is trash,” one critic wrote on X. “She’s racist. She’s a hater,” another wrote.

After the Civil War, Confederate veterans founded the KKK, and for decades — well into the 19th and 20th centuries — most members were tied to the Southern Democrats, a party that, at the time, championed segregation and enforced Jim Crow laws.

Things started shifting in the 1960s, when Democrats began pushing for civil rights legislation. That move drove away many Southern white conservatives, including KKK sympathizers. Sensing an opportunity, Republicans launched what became known as the “Southern Strategy,” aiming to win over these voters by leaning into conservative positions and, often in subtle ways, signaling support for segregation and limiting Black political power.

This political shift can also be seen in figures like David Duke, a former KKK grand wizard who ran for office as a Republican in the ’80s and ’90s, and later endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. Studies of voting patterns have also found that counties with active Klan chapters saw an uptick in Republican support. While the KKK doesn’t officially align itself with any political party, there’s evidence pointing to a change in where its sympathizers lean politically.

‘Ghetto Ebonics Trash’: Jasmine Crockett Sparks MAGA Meltdown After Blistering Claim That Black Voters Shun GOP Over KKK Ties
“Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett ignites controversy with bold claim on why Black voters reject GOP. Find out her powerful stance!”
‘Can’t Hang Out with the KKK’: MAGA World Seethes After Jasmine Crockett Exposes Why Black Voters Reject the Republican Party

Newsweek: Justice Department Issues Birthright Citizenship Update

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The U.S. Department of Justice has released an update confirming that it plans to ask the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump‘s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

The announcement was disclosed in a joint status report filed Wednesday, August 6, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Why It Matters

The Justice Department’s plan to seek a Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship—entitled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship”—marks a critical juncture in the national debate over immigration and constitutional rights.

Signed on January 20, 2025, it directs the federal government to deny citizenship documents to children born in the U.S. to undocumented or temporary immigrant parents.

At stake is the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which has long been understood to guarantee citizenship to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil. A ruling in favor of the order could reshape federal authority over citizenship, impact millions of U.S.-born children, and redefine the limits of executive power—making this one of the most consequential legal battles in recent memory.

What To Know

On February 6, 2025, the district court in Seattle issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of President Trump’s executive order.

The case under review, State of Washington v. Trump, was just one of several ongoing legal challenges in which lower courts have largely rejected the administration’s legal theory. District courts in Maryland (February 5), New Hampshire (February 10), and Massachusetts (February 13), have each upheld that the order conflicted with constitutional protections and halted its enforcement in their respective jurisdictions.

One of those judges, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, an appointee of former President Barack Obama who sits on the federal bench in Boston, granted a nationwide preliminary injunction, affirming that the constitutional guarantee of citizenship applies broadly, and finding the policy to be, “unconstitutional and contrary to a federal statute.”

The government appealed the ruling and sought partial stays from the district court, the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court. After the Supreme Court denied a partial stay, the Ninth Circuit requested further briefing and, on July 23, upheld the injunction.

The new update came in a joint status report filed August 6, 2025, in which the DOJ stated that Solicitor General D. John Sauer intends to file a petition “expeditiously” for certiorari—a legal term that refers to the process by which a higher court (most commonly the U.S. Supreme Court), agrees to review a lower court’s decision—in order to place the case before the Court during its next term, which begins in October.

This means the Justice Department has now formally indicated it will seek a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of President Trump’s executive order; though it has not yet chosen which specific case—or combination of ongoing cases—it will use as the basis for its appeal.

The parties plan to update the court further once those appellate steps are finalized.

Fourteenth Amendment At Stake

Since the adoption of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution on July 9, 1868, the citizenship of persons born in the United States has been controlled by its Citizenship Clause, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Courts have consistently upheld this principle for more than a century, most notably in the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

However, the Trump administration argues that the amendment should not apply to children of parents who lack permanent legal status, a position that has been repeatedly rejected by lower courts.

What People Are Saying

President Trump, during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, December 8, 2024, said: “Do you know if somebody sets a foot—just a foot, one foot, you don’t need two—on our land, ‘Congratulations you are now a citizen of the United States of America,’ … Yes, we’re going to end that, because it’s ridiculous.” Adding: “…we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people, but we have to end it. … We’re the only country that has it, you know.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters in June 2025: “Birthright citizenship will be decided in October, in the next session by the Supreme Court.”

DOJ attorneys wrote in the filing: “In light of the Ninth Circuit’s decision, Defendants represent that the Solicitor General plans to seek certiorari expeditiously to enable the Supreme Court to settle the lawfulness of the Citizenship Order next Term.”

Jessica Levinson, constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School, said: “You can’t ‘executive order’ your way out of the Constitution. If you want to end birthright citizenship, you need to amend the Constitution, not issue an executive order.”

What Happens Next

The Justice Department must decide which case or combination of cases it will use to challenge lower court rulings and bring the birthright citizenship issue before the Supreme Court. Once it makes that decision, the DOJ will file a petition for certiorari.

The Court is not required to accept every petition, but because this involves a major constitutional question, it is likely to grant review. If that happens, the Court could hear arguments in 2026 and issue a ruling by June of that year.

For now, the Justice Department and attorneys representing plaintiff states—including Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon—have agreed to submit another update once the appellate process is clarified or if further proceedings in the district court are required. Until then, the order remains unenforceable, lower court rulings blocking Trump’s executive order remain in effect, and current birthright citizenship protections continue to apply.

What part of Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment is so hard to understand? Only a Totally Retarded Dumb-Assed Idiot (TRDAI) could miss the meaning of it:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Unfortunately there seems to be no shortage of TRDAIs in the Trump regime. 🙁

Justice Department Issues Birthright Citizenship Update
Fight over Trump’s order to deny birthright citizenship heads toward Supreme Court, with 14th Amendment protections at stake

https://www.newsweek.com/justice-department-issues-birthright-citizenship-update-2110176

Washington Post: ICE crackdown imperils Afghans who aided U.S. war effort, lawyers say

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Two former Afghan interpreters for U.S. forces face deportation despite following immigration processes, according to attorneys for the men.

One former interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan was detained by immigration agents in Connecticut last month after he showed up for a routine green card appointment. A second was arrested in June, just minutes after attending his first asylum hearing in San Diego.

As the administration seeks to fulfill President Donald Trump’s pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, attorneys for the men say their clients — Afghans who fear retribution from the Taliban for their work assisting the United States in its 20-year war in Afghanistan — have found themselves in the crosshairs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The attorneys provided The Washington Post with military contracts and certificates, asylum and visa applications, recommendation letters and other records that described both men’s work on behalf of U.S. forces during the war.

After Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, President Joe Biden’s administration moved to resettle Afghans who had worked for the U.S. government through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which grants lawful permanent resident status and a pathway to U.S. citizenship. As of April, about 25,000 Afghans had received an SIV, and another 160,000 had pending applications, said Adam Bates, an attorney with the International Refugee Assistance Program who analyzed State Department data.

But the Trump administration is rolling back programs created to assist more than 250,000 Afghans — including the allies who worked for U.S. forces and other refugees who fled after the Taliban takeover. And while administration officials say SIV processing will continue, advocates for Afghans who served with U.S. troops fear the curtailment of programs they depend on, along with Trump’s ambitious deportation plan, jeopardizes those still vying for SIV protection.

They point to the arrests of Zia, 36, and Sayed Naser, 33, whose attorneys argue they followed proper immigration processes. The Post agreed to withhold the last names of both men because of the ongoing threats to their lives from the Taliban.

“Zia is not an outlier,” his attorney Lauren Cundick Petersen said during a news conference last month. “We’re witnessing the deliberate redefinition of legal entry as illegal for the purpose of meeting enforcement quotas.”

Matt Zeller, an Army veteran whose Afghan interpreter saved his life in a 2008 firefight, co-founded the nonprofit No One Left Behind to help resettle Afghans. He said he fears the immigration crackdown will unwind that effort.

“The Trump administration knows what’s going to happen to these folks. They’re not stupid. They understand that the Taliban is going to kill them when they get back to Afghanistan,” Zeller said. “They just don’t care.”

In response to questions from The Post, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration’s top immigration enforcement priority is “arresting and removing the dangerous violent, illegal criminal aliens that Joe Biden let flood across our Southern Border — of which there are many.”

“America is safer because of President Trump’s immigration policies,” she said.

All King Donald and his cronies care about is deporting foreigner, any foreigners.

Click one of the links below to read the rest of the article.

ICE crackdown imperils Afghans who aided U.S. war effort, lawyers say
Advocates fear President Donald Trump’s ambitious deportation plan jeopardizes Afghan interpreters and other allies who worked for U.S. troops during the war.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/08/03/afghanistan-immigrants-trump-deportations

ICE crackdown imperils Afghans who aided U.S. war effort, lawyers say
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Newsweek: Kids of Afghan translator taken at green-card check living in fear—brother

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The children of an Afghan man who served with U.S. troops and entered the U.S legally are terrified to play outside after their father was detained at a green-card appointment, the man’s brother said.

Zia S., a 35-year-old father of five and former interpreter for the U.S. military, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office in East Hartford, Connecticut, on July 16, his lawyer told reporters on a press call.

The brothers requested that their names be withheld over safety concerns.

“His kids don’t even go out to play because they’re scared. And I didn’t even go out to work because I’m watching his kids,” Zia’s brother, who also served as interpreter, told Newsweek in an exclusive interview on July 30.

Why It Matters

Following the end of the U.S. military’s 20-year presence in Afghanistan in 2021, many Afghans who had assisted American forces were allowed entry into the United States through refugee programs, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, policy changes under the Trump administration resulted in the termination of TPS for some people, raising concerns about potential deportations.

The U.S. ended TPS for Afghans effective July 14, 2025, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice published in May. President Donald Trump has vowed to remove millions of migrants without legal status. The White House said in January that anyone living in the country unlawfully is considered to be a “criminal.”

What To Know

Zia arrived in the U.S. on humanitarian parole in October 2024 and had been living in Connecticut, his lawyer told reporters during a press call.

He assisted U.S. troops in Afghanistan for about five years and fled the country with his family in 2021. Although they had received Special Immigrant Visa approvals and were pursuing permanent residency, Zia was placed in expedited removal proceedings.

A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation. After his initial detention in Connecticut, Zia was transferred to an immigration detention center in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Newsweek on July 23 that the Zia “is currently under investigation for a serious criminal allegation.” Newsweek has requested more details from DHS surrounding the alleged wrongdoing.

Zia’s brother denied that he was involved in any criminality and said the allegations are “baseless.”

Both brothers served the U.S. military as interpreters. Zia’s brother came to the U.S. more than a decade ago through the same SIV program and eventually obtained U.S. citizenship, he said.

The detention has taken a toll on his wife, Zia’s brother said.

“His wife is suffering anxiety since he’s been detained,” he said. “And nobody sleeps. The family is awake all night.”

In a message to Trump, Zia’s brother said the family followed all legal procedures and expected the U.S. to honor commitments to its Afghan allies.

“We were promised wartime allies,” he said. “For our job, like when we have served with the U.S. and we helped the U.S. Army and our home country, and we were promised that you all would be going to the U.S. on legal pathways.

“They should stand on their promise. They should not betray us. They should not betray those who put their lives at risk and their families’ lives at risk for them.”

What People Are Saying

Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, previously told Newsweek: “The Trump administration’s decision to turn its back on our Afghan allies who risked their lives and the lives of their families to support American troops in Afghanistan is unconscionable.”

A senior DHS Official told Newsweek: Zia is “a national of Afghanistan, entered the U.S. on October 8, 2024, and paroled by the Biden administration into our country.”

Zia’s attorney, Lauren Cundick Petersen, told reporters on a press call on July 22: “Following the rules are supposed to protect you. It’s not supposed to land you in detention. If he is deported, as so many of the people have articulated today, he faces death.”

What Happens Next

Zia is being held in a Massachusetts detention center and will remain in ICE custody, pending further investigation by DHS.

Kids of Afghan translator taken at green-card check living in fear—brother
“His kids don’t even go out to play because they’re scared,” the man’s brother told Newsweek.

https://www.newsweek.com/afghan-translator-ice-immigration-green-card-2107104