Tag Archives: united states

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

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

Daily Mail: Donald Trump complains Air Force One ‘much smaller and less impressive’ than Middle East planes

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‘The plane that you are on right now is almost 40 years old,’ Trump remarked, referring to Air Force One and noting that the Boeing planes purchased by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar were ‘brand new 747s.’

‘You see ours next to it. This is like a totally different plane. It’s much smaller and less impressive, as impressive as it is,’ Trump said. ‘We are the United States of America I believe we should have the most impressive plane.’

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The 747-8 offered by the Qataris is considered more fuel efficient and quiet but it is most notable for it’s luxurious interior, designed by famed French design firm Alberto Pinto Cabinet. 

King Donald appears to be suffering an acute case of Boeing envy.

Only the best for His Majesty, the Emir of Washington!

Donald Trump says Air Force One ‘much smaller’ than Middle East planes
President Donald Trump on Tuesday again defended his decision to accept the gift of a luxury jet from Qatar to serve as Air Force One during his remaining years as president.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14709689/donald-trump-air-force-one-qatar-gift-middle-east.html

MarketWatch: Millions of Americans may lose health insurance under GOP tax plan. Here’s who will be affected most.

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The plan would represent the largest cut to Medicaid ever

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill could lead to at least 8.6 million Americans losing health coverage, with the majority expected to lose Medicaid. Most affected would be low-income adults without dependents, earning a bit more than a poverty income of $15,650 for a single person.

Go for it, suckers! Mid-terms are coming, and they will come with a vengeance!

?url=httpswww.marketwatch.comstorymillions-of-americans-may-lose-health-insurance-under-gop-tax-plan-heres-who-will-be-affected-most-bd965669

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/millions-of-americans-may-lose-health-insurance-under-gop-tax-plan-heres-who-will-be-affected-most-bd965669

USA Today: Trump uses Supreme Court birthright citizenship case in bid to limit judges’ power

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President Trump is counting on the Supreme Court to limit the ability of judges to put his policies on hold while they’re being challenged.

Judges across the country have blocked some of President Donald Trump’s biggest policy changes − roadblocks the president has called “toxic and unprecedented.”

Trump is counting on the Supreme Court to fix that.

How inclined the justices might be to do so could become apparent on May 15 when the court considers Trump’s move to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States regardless of whether their parents are citizens or permanent residents.

The president hasn’t yet asked the high court to consider the legality of his policy – which was called “blatantly unconstitutional” by the first judge to review it.

Instead, Trump wants the justices to narrow the scope of multiple court orders keeping his new rules on hold until the citizenship policy has been fully litigated.

The administration argues that, for now, Trump should be able to impose the change on everyone except the 18 parents named in the lawsuits or, at most, any member of two immigrant rights groups or residents of a state that challenged the policy.

Trump uses Supreme Court birthright citizenship case in bid to limit judges’ power
President Trump is counting on the Supreme Court to limit the ability of judges to put his policies on hold while they’re being challenged.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/11/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-trump/83541130007

CBS News: Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker says he was detained, asked “Do you like Donald Trump?” at Chicago O’Hare

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Popular Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker, who has more than 2 million followers on the live-streaming platform, said he was detained and questioned by federal authorities at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for more than two hours after arriving in the U.S. on an international flight.

This happened as Piker, 33, was headed to speak at the University of Chicago on Sunday after he returned from a family vacation in Paris. Piker, a prominent Turkish American live streamer who has openly spoken out against the war in Gaza, told the Institute of Politics crowd at UChicago that he believes he was targeted at O’Hare for his criticism of the Trump administration.

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“They took me to the back room, into a detention center. An agent came out and took me into the interrogation room … and they started asking me about crazy [expletive], like, ‘Do you like Donald Trump?'” he said.

The American-born Twitch streamer and left-wing political commentator recounted at length to his millions of followers his two-hour encounter with federal agents after he arrived in Chicago from Paris. He claims he was asked not only about the president, but he was also questioned about his opinions on Israel, Hamas and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“Everything I’ve done is fully protected under the First Amendment, OK?” Piker said. “And none of these questions are actually valid questions to ask.”

Piker said this applies no matter what one’s political beliefs are.

“It’s illegal for them to even ask me those questions, like, they can’t deny me entry into my own country,” Piker said. “It’s like, even if I was like, ‘I love Hamas,’ they can’t do that. Like, what do you mean?”

And this bullshit from Homeland Security:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin acknowledged that Piker was detained, but took issue with his account of what happened.

McLaughlin said: “This is nothing but lying for likes. Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless. Our officers are following the law, not agendas.”

Under King Donald, it’s all about agendas — Trump’s agendas.

Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker says he was detained, asked “Do you like Donald Trump?” at Chicago O’Hare
Hasan Piker said he was detained and questioned by federal authorities at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport following a trip to Paris.

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/streamer-left-wing-commentator-hasan-piker-detained-ohare