Judge Boasberg, Chief Judge of the D.C. District Court, is presiding over multiple cases involving the Trump administration, raising concerns about potential bias in case assignments. This follows his previous ruling against the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan migrants. The latest case involves a lawsuit against Trump officials stemming from a Signal group chat discussing a Yemen operation. Critics allege a pattern of politically motivated rulings in D.C. courts, demanding an investigation into this perceived bias.
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The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s temporary block on the deportation of Venezuelan men under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA), a 2-1 decision. The majority found the Justice Department failed to demonstrate the existence of a war or invasion justifying the AEA’s use, and also noted concerns over the men’s wrongful identification as gang members. Judge Henderson’s concurrence emphasized the historical military context of “invasion” in the AEA. The ruling is a setback for the Trump administration, which argued the deportations were within presidential powers.
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Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University Ph.D. student, was abducted in broad daylight by unidentified agents who falsely identified themselves as police. Surveillance footage shows the forceful apprehension and subsequent disappearance of Ozturk, who was later reportedly found in a Louisiana facility. The Department of Homeland Security claims Ozturk engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a claim unsupported by evidence beyond her co-authorship of a student opinion piece advocating for recognition of potential genocide in Gaza. This incident highlights a pattern of targeting Muslim and pro-Palestinian students, raising concerns about due process and potential abuses of power.
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Andrys, a 23-year-old Venezuelan gay makeup artist, was deported to El Salvador’s Cecot mega-prison without due process under a Trump-era policy. His lawyer, Lindsay Toczylowski, revealed his identity after government documents disclosed it, highlighting his disappearance following deportation despite lacking a court hearing or deportation order. Andrys, who sought asylum in the U.S., was flagged for gang affiliation based on tattoos his lawyer deemed innocuous. He is now held in a notoriously abusive prison, where his safety is gravely jeopardized.
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Venezuela’s minister of information claims that none of the individuals deported from the United States to El Salvador were members of the Tren de Aragua gang. He asserts this with complete confidence, stating that he has reviewed lists of deportees obtained from both US media and his own sources, and found no connection to the organization.
However, the assertion of the gang’s extinction is questionable, to say the least. Many dispute this claim, pointing out that the gang’s continued activity contradicts the minister’s statement. The minister’s credibility is also heavily debated, with some pointing to his past and current legal status—a $25 million bounty on his head—to cast doubt on his claims.… Continue reading
Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old green card holder, is detained by ICE in Washington state following her return from the Philippines. Her detention stems from a 2001 non-violent conviction, despite her decades-long residency and current employment at the University of Washington. Her lawyer argues that her travel triggered her detention, a situation he considers unusual given her legal status. Dixon’s family is seeking her release, and a hearing is scheduled for July, though her lawyer is pushing for an earlier date.
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Sending Americans to foreign prisons is a deeply troubling proposition, one that has sparked outrage and concern. The idea itself flies in the face of fundamental legal principles and established norms regarding the rights of citizens. Civil rights groups are vehemently opposed, and rightly so, asserting that such an action would be unequivocally illegal.
The sheer illegality of this proposed action is a point that bears repeating. It’s not a matter of opinion or political debate; it’s a blatant violation of established legal frameworks, international treaties, and basic human rights. The very notion that a government could simply exile its own citizens to foreign prisons without due process is shocking and should be alarming to everyone.… Continue reading
Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national on a student visa, was arrested by ICE and faces deportation due to alleged ties to a Hamas official and the dissemination of Hamas propaganda. A federal judge temporarily blocked his deportation following a habeas corpus filing that argued his detention violated due process and constituted viewpoint discrimination. Suri’s attorneys claim the arrest is based on online smear campaigns and his advocacy for Palestinian rights, while DHS cites a Secretary of State determination deeming him deportable. The case highlights concerns about the targeting of activists on college campuses and raises questions about free speech protections for non-citizens.
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Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral fellow and Indian national, was detained by federal immigration agents. The Department of Homeland Security alleges Suri’s social media activity constitutes Hamas propaganda and antisemitism, leading to a March 15th Secretary of State determination deeming him deportable. Suri’s lawyer contends his client is innocent and that the detention is politically motivated due to his pro-Palestinian views, filing a lawsuit for his release. Georgetown University asserts its unawareness of any illegal activity by Suri and supports his right to free inquiry.
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Germany’s recent update to its US travel advice follows the detention of three German citizens at US borders, raising serious concerns about the current state of US immigration enforcement. These detentions, seemingly arbitrary and disproportionate to the alleged offenses, highlight a worrying trend of increased scrutiny by US border authorities, even for individuals with legal standing or minor past infractions.
The case of Fabian Schmidt, a legal US resident since 2008, illustrates this point perfectly. His detention stemmed from a dismissed 2015 misdemeanor marijuana charge, a seemingly minor offense rendered irrelevant by subsequent changes in California’s marijuana laws. This incident underscores a disturbing pattern of using outdated or inconsequential charges as justification for detention, regardless of their current legal standing.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood