The Atlantic: The Rushed, Blundering Effort to Send Deportees to Third Countries

Many of those sent to countries that aren’t their own are at heightened risk for abuse.

The Trump administration has acknowledged a new error in a case challenging its attempts to send deportees to any country that will take them. Another immigrant who had earned protected status was rushed out of the country and put in danger—and U.S. officials have offered little more than a shrug.

This time, the immigrant is a gay man from Guatemala who fled death threats and twice tried to seek refuge in the United States. First, he was denied and deported home. He tried again last year and says that while traveling through Mexico, he was held for ransom and sexually assaulted.

The man, identified in court documents as O.C.G., won his case in February when a U.S. immigration judge granted him withholding of removal, shielding him from deportation to Guatemala because of the risk of harm he faced there. The Trump administration promptly sent him to Mexico instead. Threatened with prolonged detention, O.C.G. left Mexico and went back to Guatemala—the country the judge had said he shouldn’t be sent to—and is now in hiding there.

The Trump administration originally claimed that O.C.G. did not express fear of being sent to Mexico, which would have potentially stopped his deportation. But on Friday, the government acknowledged that its claim was based on an erroneous data entry, and that it has no record to support the assertion. Then, over the weekend, the government compounded its mistake by briefly disclosing the man’s full name in court documents, violating confidentiality rules. The Atlantic is not publishing his name, because his lawyers argued in court that identifying him could put his life in danger, especially while he is in hiding.

It’s a long read but interesting.

Frankly, deporting people to third countries where they have no roots, no family, and don’t know the language is an abomination. So many of these people came to the U.S. looking for a better life for themselves and their families, and now we’re kicking them around the world like a bunch soccer balls.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/05/third-country-deportations/682857

Bloomburg: DOGE Asks US Supreme Court to Block Access to Its Records

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to halt a judge’s order that would force it to answer questions from a watchdog group and turn over documents about Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in a fight over public access to the office’s records.DO

The Justice Department is challenging a ruling that requires the US DOGE Service to comply with demands by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, for information about its structure and operations. That includes making DOGE administrator Amy Gleason available to testify under oath at a deposition. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on May 14 denied the government’s request to intervene.

DOGE just can’t handle the sunshine & public scrutiny!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-21/doge-asks-us-supreme-court-to-block-group-s-access-to-records

And here:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/doge-asks-us-supreme-court-to-block-access-to-its-records/ar-AA1FdkQJ

Sacramento Bee: Sweeping ICE Arrests in Blow to Washington, D.C.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 189 illegal immigrants in Washington, D.C., in a recent operation targeting criminal offenders, including those linked to gangs like MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the 18th Street gang. The operation involved coordination among various law enforcement agencies, such as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Director Russell Hott stated that the collaboration aims to remove dangerous individuals from the community, reinforcing public safety.

And now for the 64 dollar questions:

How many of the 189 arrestees actually had criminal records?

How many of the 189 arrestees actually were gang members?

There’s been a lot of disparity between ICE’s arithmetic and reality.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sweeping-ice-arrests-in-blow-to-washington-d-c/ss-AA1Fe5Te

NBC News: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem struggles to define habeas corpus at Senate hearing

“Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country,” Noem said. “That’s incorrect,” a Democratic senator responded.


My God, how stupid is this woman?


Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem mangled a response to a question about habeas corpus at a Senate hearing Tuesday, referring to the constitutional right of due process as a “right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country.”

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., asked Noem about the constitutional protection after noting that White House adviser Stephen Miller told reporters earlier this month that the administration was “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, the right to challenge an arrest or imprisonment.

“I want to clarify your position,” Hassan asked. “What is habeas corpus?”

“Well, habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country, and suspend their right to … ,” Noem responded before she was cut off by Hassan.

“That’s incorrect,” the senator said.

“Habeas corpus is the legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people. If not for that protection, the government could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason,” Hassan said, calling it a “foundational right.”

“So Secretary Noem, do you support the core protection that habeas corpus provides, that the government must provide a public reason in order to detain and imprison someone?” she asked.

Noem responded, “I support habeas corpus. I also recognize that the president of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not.” 

Uhh … no, he doesn’t.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna207986

NJ.com: Judge chides feds in dismissing ICE trespassing charge against Newark mayor

A federal judge in Newark on Wednesday agreed to dismiss trespassing charges against Mayor Ras J. Baraka, chiding the federal prosecutors he said had filed the charges in a “worrisome” rush.

U.S. Magistrate Judge André Espinosa granted a motion for dismissal from the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, during a hearing in the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse, two blocks from Baraka’s office at Newark City Hall.

At the request of Habba’s office, Espinosa dismissed the charge “with prejudice,” meaning the case cannot be reopened.

But Espinosa harshly criticized federal authorities for acting with speed over caution.

“The hasty arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka followed swiftly by the dismissal of these trespassing charges a mere 13 days later suggests a worrisome misstep by your office,” Espinosa told Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Demanovich, whose boss, Habba, was not in court. “An arrest, particularly of a public figure, is not a preliminary investigative tool. It is a severe action, carrying significant reputational and personal consequences, and it should only be undertaken after a thorough, dispassionate evaluation of credible evidence.”

Espinosa, who addressed the parties remotely and not face-to-face in a courtroom, added that the conduct of the case was in sharp contrast to the stellar reputation of New Jersey’s U.S. attorney’s office over the past two decades.

What were you expecting when the U.S. Attorney with the stellar reputation was replaced by one of Trump’s loyal and not-particularly-bright sycophants, Alina “Bimbo #4” Habba?

“The apparent rush in this case, culminating today in the embarrassing retraction of charges, suggests a failure to adequately investigate, to carefully gather facts, and to carefully consider the implications of your actions before wielding your immense power.”

That criticisim applies equally well to all four of Trumps pathetic bimbos, not only Alina “Bimbo #4” Habba, but also Karoline “Bimbo #1” Leavitt, Kristi “Bimbo #2” Noem, and Pam “Bimbo #3” Bondi, each of whom is dumber than a rock, with all due respect to rocks.

Click the link below to read the rest of the judge’s scathing comments.

https://www.nj.com/essex/2025/05/judge-chides-feds-in-dismissing-ice-trespassing-charge-against-newark-mayor.html

Raw Story: Trump Justice Department appointee suggests criminal charges for Jill Biden

As the country grapples with the news that former President Joe Biden has stage four prostate cancer, the right wing made jokes and attacks that extended beyond the president.

One of those came from a President Donald Trump’s political appointee to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Leo Terrell.

Internet personality Ian Jaeger posted a photo of Dr. Jill Biden, calling her “evil” for “knowing” that her husband had health problems but still wanting him to run for the presidency.

In actuality the Bidens learned of his cancer diagnosis only 3 days before this Raw Story article went to press.

Terrell reposted it, questioning whether it qualified as “elder abuse” and if “criminal charges” should be filed against the former first lady, flagged former DOJ appointee Eric Columbus on Bluesky.

Seriously? File criminal charges against a woman for believing in and supporting her husband? Trump fanatics apparently will stop at nothing.

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-justice-department-2672134549

The Desk: Voice of America layoffs to result in dozens of deportations

Many independent contractors laid off by the broadcaster last week hold work visas that require continued employment to stay in the United States.

Dozens of independent contractors who were laid off at the Voice of America (VOA) last week are likely to be deported within the next month as a result of their job losses, The Desk has learned.

The contractors — around 60 in total — participate in the Exchange Visitor Program, which entitles them to J-1 visas to live and work in the United States as long as they are engaged in certain roles, including the production and distribution of journalism.

The workers were among more than 500 whose contracts were terminated last week by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent organization of VOA. The layoffs come about two months after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that required USAGM and six other agencies to significantly reduce their operations and fire employees accordingly.

More than 1,000 VOA workers were laid off and hundreds of contracts were temporarily suspended, triggering legal challenges across the board. Those challenges have resulted in favorable decision by lower courts, some of which have been partially reversed by appellate judges.

The 60 visa holders are required to maintain employment as part of their ongoing participation in the J-1 program. Their status remains in limbo after VOA ended their contract employment last week. Without new employment, many face the likelihood of having their work permits revoked, which would lead to deportations.

USA Today: In latest Trump overhaul, Justice Department may change who prosecutes public corruption

The review comes after President Donald Trump criticized the alleged ‘weaponization’ of prosecutions of public officials including him.

The Justice Department is considering moving decisions about whether to prosecute public officials such as members of Congress to regional U.S. attorney’s offices rather than at headquarters, part of President Donald Trump‘s overhaul of the department and its public corruption enforcement.

The review aims to ensure that U.S. attorneys in 94 offices nationwide share equal responsibility with headquarters officials in choosing whether to pursue public corruption cases, according to a department official speaking on background. No final decisions have been made, the department official said.

It would put these prosecutions under the control of political appointees who can quickly be replaced to do the President’s bidding, e.g. the appointment of Trump’s Bimbo #4 Alina Habba as the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. Previously such prosecutions were managed by DOJ’s career professional staff.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/19/justice-department-public-corruption-prosecutions/83722654007

Miami Herald: Pam Bondi Under Fire Over Qatar Jet: ‘Wrong Signal’

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s alleged connection to Qatar has drawn criticism as the Qatari government plans to gift President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 for temporary use as Air Force One. Bondi previously lobbied Congress for Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in 2020. The situation has since fueled legal and ethical concerns regarding foreign gifts to U.S. officials.

Democratic pollster Matt McDermott said, “The DOJ memo approving Trump’s Qatari jet? Written by Pam Bondi. Her last job? Lobbying for Qatar.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pam-bondi-under-fire-over-qatar-jet-wrong-signal/ss-AA1F5kGq

Houston Chronicle: Houston judge orders U.S. to locate Venezuelan refugee seeker deported to El Salvador

A Houston judge on Monday ordered the U.S. government to track down a Venezuelan man who is believed to have been deported to El Salvador after government attorneys told the court they did not know where he was. 

Widmer Josneyder Agelviz Sanguino, 24, was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody last fall after arriving in Houston as a refugee, but his family and attorneys stopped hearing from him on March 15 as his asylum case was awaiting a decision. Days later, his name appeared on a flight manifest published by CBS News identifying the 238 Venezuelan men who had been deported to a mega prison in El Salvador.

Neither his family nor his team has had contact with him since.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/immigration/article/houston-judge-venezuelan-deportation-20335757.php