Four protesters have received death sentences in Iran, adding to concerns over due process as the country’s execution rate has reached a multi-decade high. These new sentences are linked to recent unrest, with human rights organizations reporting at least 1,639 executions in 2025, an alarming surge. The combination of these death penalties and the escalated execution numbers indicates increased pressure on detainees, particularly those associated with recent protests. The judiciary’s declaration of a “wartime posture” in handling certain cases further suggests a potential erosion of fair trial standards in politically sensitive matters.
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A 25-year-old Denver-born U.S. citizen, Brian Morales, was reportedly deported to Mexico after a traffic stop in Texas, despite claiming he had proof of citizenship at home. U.S. Border Patrol agents determined Morales was illegally in the U.S. and removed him to Mexico, a claim contested by the Department of Homeland Security. This incident is part of a pattern of alleged deportations of U.S. citizens and children under the current administration’s intensified immigration enforcement. Critics, like Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, argue this highlights a disregard for citizenship claims and potential racial profiling by immigration agents.
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The Supreme Court in Eswatini has ruled that four men deported by the U.S. under a third-country program can finally meet with a lawyer. These men, who have been denied in-person legal counsel for nine months while held in a maximum-security prison, will now have access to a local lawyer representing their U.S.-based legal team. This decision comes after the Eswatini government appealed a lower court’s ruling, arguing the deportees had no right to counsel as they had not been charged with any crime in Eswatini. The ruling highlights concerns about the denial of basic rights for individuals deported under such programs to countries with questionable human rights records.
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The Kentucky Supreme Court has halted impeachment proceedings against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman, ruling that the General Assembly cannot proceed with the impeachment effort. The court found that the impeachment violated Goodman’s due process rights, that her alleged offenses were not impeachable, and that the legislature was not the proper venue for judicial reprimand. Furthermore, the ruling stated that the impeachment effort infringed upon the separation of powers doctrine, asserting that the Judicial Conduct Commission is the appropriate body to address judicial misconduct.
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After four months of detention, Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez was released from an ICE facility in Houston after a federal judge ruled her due process rights were violated. Kenny-Velasquez, a Venezuelan national who had previously applied for asylum, was detained just two days after marrying U.S. Army Reserve pilot Chris Busby. Her release comes after her legal team successfully argued her detention was unconstitutional, though her pending asylum case continues. The couple now awaits further legal proceedings for her permanent residency.
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U.S. federal agents detained Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status. The State Department stated Afshar supported Iran’s government and its propaganda, and her husband was also barred from entering the United States. This action occurred as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its sixth week and follows similar revocations of residency status for the daughter of Iranian politician Ali Larijani.
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A significant development has occurred in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration detention policies, with a federal appeals court stepping in to halt nationwide rulings that had previously rejected these measures. This particular appeals court, the 9th Circuit, has indicated that the administration has presented a strong argument that a lower court wrongly certified a nationwide class action. The reasoning behind this is rooted in the idea that challenges to the validity of someone’s detention should be brought through habeas proceedings, specifically in the district where that individual is being held.
This judicial intervention creates a complex situation, as it effectively pauses the enforcement of previous court orders that had sought to limit the administration’s ability to detain immigrants without due process, such as the opportunity to seek release on bond.… Continue reading
The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan has expressed regret over a mistaken defense of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo that falsely claimed officers could arrest individuals inside immigration courts. This clarification, revealed in a recent ICE memo, states the agency’s arrest policy does not apply to immigration courts, ending months of alleged unlawful arrests occurring immediately after immigrants attended their hearings. This revelation has been called a “bombshell” by critics who point to potential violations of due process and call for investigations and legal action.
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The concerning reports emerging suggest a disturbing pattern where individuals deported from the United States to El Salvador are allegedly being forcibly disappeared by the Salvadoran government. This situation raises serious human rights concerns, as a rights group has highlighted the immediate detention of these deportees upon arrival, severing any contact with their families and legal representatives.
Investigations have revealed that a significant number of these deportees, specifically eleven Salvadorans deported between mid-March and mid-October 2025, have not been granted access to judicial proceedings since their return. Relatives and lawyers have been left in the dark regarding the whereabouts and reasons for detention of these individuals.… Continue reading
It’s quite the perplexing situation with this Palestinian woman who, for the third time, has been ordered released from ICE detention, yet there’s still a lingering possibility she might remain held. This isn’t just a minor bureaucratic hiccup; it’s a pattern that raises serious questions about due process and the intent behind her prolonged detention. The fact that she’s reportedly been held longer than any other pro-Palestinian demonstrator targeted by the Trump administration really underscores the unusual nature of her case.
During her third bond hearing, the judge, Tara Naselow-Nahas, voiced her observations, noting the extensive evidence presented by the respondent and the relative scarcity of evidence from the government.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood