Defending Jan. 6 Rioters, Investigating Democrats: How Ed Martin Is Weaponizing the DOJ for Trump
—

Since becoming interim U.S. attorney, Ed Martin has launched controversial investigations, rushed to defend Elon Musk’s DOGE and vowed to change how his office prosecutes crime in D.C. These are some of his most contentious actions.
propublica.org/article/who-is-…

#News #DC #Jan6 #Law #DOJ #Trump #DOGE #Musk

Who Is Ed Martin, Trump’s Pick for D.C. U.S. Attorney?

As interim U.S. attorney in D.C., Martin has fired career prosecutors, dropped Capitol riot cases and launched sweeping probes into Trump’s political enemies.

^ProPublica

Predatory capitalist CEOs might want to meditate on this a bit.

Link: abovethelaw.com/2025/04/health…

Personally, I'd say a jury full of people whose friends and families have been murdered for profit are exactly the right kind of jury.

You know, a jury of our peers, just like it says in the Constitution. If you have to hunt for exceptional people, whose lives are unusual, they're not our "peers."

#Luigi #Healthcare #MurderForProfit #USHealthcare #Law

[This time around, #Trump isn’t just separating & jailing #immigrants, he’s separating & jailing families who are long time residents.]

THE #IMMIGRANT FAMILIES JAILED IN #TEXAS

#Children have long been put in migrant #detention if they were apprehended at the #border. Today, lawyers have found, #families are being removed from stable lives in the #UnitedStates.

#immigration #law #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #EthnicCleansing
newyorker.com/news/the-lede/th…

The shuttered DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties “was one of the very few tools we had to check ICE, to hold ICE accountable,” immigration lawyer Sophia Genovese said. “Now you see them speeding to complete authoritarianism.”
propublica.org/article/homelan…

#News #ICE #CivilRights #Immigration #Law #Trump #DHS #Deportation #Border

Trump’s Shuttering of DHS Civil Rights Office Freezes 600 Cases

The closure of the 150-person office, which protected the civil rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens, strips Homeland Security of its internal guardrails as the Trump administration turns DHS into a mass-deportation machine, analysts say.

^ProPublica

#StateTerror
A brief guide for Americans

by #TimothySnyder

Yesterday the president defied a #SCOTUS ruling to return a man who was mistakenly sent to a gulag in another country, celebrated the suffering of this innocent person, & spoke of sending Americans to foreign #ConcentrationCamps.

This is the beginning of an American policy of state terror, & it has to be identified as such to be stopped.

#law #Trump #tyranny #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship
snyder.substack.com/p/state-te…

State Terror

^{Timothy Snyder (Thinking about...)}

An Algorithm Deemed This Nearly Blind 70-Year-Old Prisoner a “Moderate Risk.” Now He’s No Longer Eligible for Parole.
—

A Louisiana law cedes much of the power of the parole board to an algorithm that bars thousands of prisoners from a shot at early release. Civil rights attorneys say it could disproportionately harm Black people — and may even be unconstitutional.
propublica.org/article/tiger-a…

#News #Louisiana #Prison #CriminalJustice #CivilRights #Technology #Law

TIGER, the Algorithm Banning Louisiana Prisoners from Parole

^ProPublica

#RationalWiki is facing imminent legal peril from 5 separate defamation lawsuits from 5 #eugenics supporters. At least 2 of the lawsuits appear to be frivolous on their face. The 5 litigants are known to have acted in concert to take advantage of the weak #SLAPP protections within our state of incorporation and to bankrupt us. We need both monetary donations and legal representation (we are already aware of both the ACLU and the #EFF).

#law #FreeSpeech #NewMexico
rationalwiki.org/

RationalWiki

^{rationalwiki.org}

Quote from man sued: "What are you gonna do, sue me?"

Kevin O'Leary has sued crypto personality Ben Armstrong (aka "BitBoy Crypto") for repeatedly claiming O'Leary murdered two people

(O'Leary and his wife were indeed involved in a boating collision that killed two people in 2019; O'Leary states in the lawsuit that it was his wife driving the boat, and she was acquitted of any charges)

Complaint: courtlistener.com/docket/69798…

#crypto #cryptocurrency #law

🆕 article by @tink

Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA)

#a11y #EU #disability #law

tetralogical.com/blog/2025/03/…

Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA) - TetraLogical

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires that products and services made available to citizens of the European Union (EU) are accessible.

^TetraLogical

They were not DEPORTED. Deported means sending them back to their country of origin. These people were sent to a maximum security #prison in #ElSalvador, without any #DueProcess or any analysis as to whether they feared harm there.

Flying a person to a third country that they may never have been to, directly into a prison where they are going to be forced to do hard labor, is not a #deportation; it's something else entirely.

#law #Constitution #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #CivilRights #Trump

There are still serious concerns about the prior two flights WITH *alleged* [w/o #DueProcess there’s no way to verify & family members & attorneys have said the allegations are false in many cases] #AlienEnemiesAct detainees onboard that continued despite the judge's order.

#law #Constitution #immigration #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump

From the Sat night hearing:

#UnitedStates Govt attorney:

"Would this TRO apply to aliens that otherwise have final orders of removal, because from our perspective, that would be an independent basis to effectuate their removal?"
...
Judge #Boasberg: "That's fair. ... Yes, Mr. Ensign, I agree."

#law #Constitution #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump

The #UnitedStates Govt Affidavit provides an explanation for the third flight leaving after #Boasberg’s orders:

"[A]ll individuals on that third plane had Title 8 final removal orders."

That means this flight complied with the order.

#law #Constitution #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump

#DOJ also argued that b/c it filed for a stay before the appeals court, it "should not be required to disclose sensitive information bearing on national security & foreign relations until that motion is resolved, especially given that this information is neither material nor time-sensitive."

[Not time-sensitive? They were literally flying people out if the country as fast as they could to avoid complying with the court’s order]

#law #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #DueProcess #Judiciary #Trump

Essentially the #DOJ told Judge #Boasberg that it does not need to provide the Court with any additional info (despite being ordered to do so) b/c "there was no violation of the Court's *written* order (since the relevant flights left US airspace, & so their occupants were 'removed,' before the order issued)"

DOJ then said the Court's oral pronouncements prior to the written order being docketed "were not independently
enforceable as injunctions"

[this is bullshit]
#law #Judiciary #Trump

Here's the government's notice:

storage.courtlistener.com/reca…

And here's the accompanying declaration with the data:

storage.courtlistener.com/reca…

#law #Constitution #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess#Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump

4. #Trump #DOJ says they will only give Judge #Boasberg answers on #compliance "through an in camera & ex parte declaration." (that is, they say will file a non-public declaration that he alone can see). They still give zero specific reasons other than handwaving at national security.

#law #Constitution #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess#Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower

NEW. The #Trump admin files its notice w/ Judge #Boasberg, saying:

1. Everyone on the third plane had a final order of removal, so was not deported under the #AEA

2. The Proclamation was signed Friday but didn't go into effect until posted on the WH website

3. #ICE alleges there are 258 known #TdA members in the US

#law #Constitution #AlienEnemiesAct #immigration #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #Venezuela #CivilRights #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower

Family members of Venezuelan migrants who suspect their loved ones were sent to El Salvador as part of a rapid US #deportation operation over the weekend are struggling to get more info as a legal battle plays out.

Advocates have launched a WhatsApp helpline for people searching for family members, while #immigration attorneys have tried to locate their clients after they went dark.

#law #Constitution #DueProcess #CivilRights #USpol #Trump #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct
reuters.com/world/americas/rel…

#Boasberg did in fact mention #contempt as an aside earlier that I didn’t include.

Here’s the exact quote:

“Two more questions for Mr. Kambli (for the US govt) that don't relate to CONTEMPT / disobeying court orders. 1) Was Trump's Tren de Aragua proclamation signed in secret on Friday? Or on Saturday? Need to know timing & when US thinks it went into effect.”

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct #Trump

With that, the hearing is over. The govt will file more information tomorrow, & it may again refuse to provide specific the information #Boasberg requested (but must explain why). There is a further hearing on the #TRO on Fri, & action in the DC Circuit Court where briefing ends Wed.

🧵
#law #Constitution #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #immigration #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct #Trump

#Boasberg with a sarcastic aside: "What I will hear from you by noon tomorrow — & I will memorialize in written form since apparently my oral orders don't carry much weight — is a written declaration" about the third flight & also the information he's previously ordered them to provide.

🧵
#law #Constitution #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #immigration #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct #Trump

Lee then says they're going to argue that the government should be required to give anyone subject to the #AEA a hearing before finding that they're covered, & they'll be seeking that later.

#Boasberg orders #DOJ to say how many people are designated under AEA. DOJ says again they may refuse.

🧵
#law #Constitution #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #immigration #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct #Trump

#Boasberg then asks how many people are subject to the proclamation & how many people are currently in #ICE custody.

#DOJ says they don't have it. #ACLU also says they don't have it, & points out that the proclamation is vague enough that it's hard for anyone to figure out who is subject.

🧵
#law #Constitution #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #immigration #Venezuela #CivilRights #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct #Trump

#Boasberg then asks the government about another issue; when was the Proclamation actually signed?

The #DOJ atty says that he does not have any information right now as to when the proclamation was signed, & Boasberg asks him to submit that information as well by noon tomorrow, & for the DOJ to provide an argument for when the proclamation went into effect.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

Lee Gelernt says it's "implausible" that they didn't believe they were bound by what #Boasberg said in court, but even if they did, it was obvious that the only proper action was to go back to the court & seek clarification or turn the plane around & appeal.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg then moves to Lee Gelernt of the #ACLU, asking him whether he wants to respond, & noting again that he doesn't plan to issue any rulings today about whether the order was violated.

Lee begins by pointing out the best way to deal with a #TRO they disagreed with was to obey & then appeal.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg points out again that his equitable powers as a judge do not stop at the U.S. border lines or in international airspace.

He pauses & says this is a complex question & it would be better to be arguing them on the basis of the #facts, pointing out again #DOJ didn't give them the facts.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg asks "You're saying that the president somehow has extra powers over a plane once it enters international airspace once it leaves US airspace?"

#DOJ basically says yes, then starts repeating previous arguments.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

Wow. #DOJ is arguing that #Trump has authority OUTSIDE the #AlienEnemiesAct in #InternationalWaters "that would not be subject to either orders."

#Boasberg seems skeptical at a minimum, & asks if the president's foreign power exists only once the plane crosses into international airspace?

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#DOJ is now arguing that this is a #ForeignPolicy issue & claims that the US would suffer if any TdA member weren't deported.

"I'm not calling into the question the government's foreign policy ... I'm just asking how you think my equitable powers do not attach to the plane ... ?"

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg says just return the planes then figure out the answer, rather than simply ignoring the order.

#DOJ then says that isn't what they're arguing & then shifts to their third argument, which is inherent presidential authority to move military forces.

/again, these were not #military flights!

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg responds to that: "Isn't the response what you think is unconstitutional or improper or illegal injunction to seek modification or appeal?"

#DOJ says "when the planes are in the sky and there is sensitive national security, that's not a call that can be made."

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#DOJ attorney begins saying the #law generally doesn't apply extraterritorially, and #Boasberg stops him, emphasizing that the question here is about his own equitable powers, not the Immigration and Nationality Act.

DOJ says the people had physically been removed so he no longer had jurisdiction.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#DOJ says “no”, "removal" had already happened because they had already left US airspace.

#Boasberg says "the equitable power of the United States courts is not so limited," saying it's "pretty clear" that even if the enjoined acts were outside the territory of the US, you can't violate it.

"What argument do you have the equity stops at this country's borders"?

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #Trump #AlienEnemiesAct

#Boasberg says "so when I said directly turn the plane around, you read it because my written order was pithier, this could be disregarded? That's a heck of a stretch."

#DOJ then basically says that's what they're arguing, then pivots to the international waters argument.

Boasberg explores the argument about being outside the US. He asks whether the DOJ is arguing that because the plane was outside US airspace, his order did not apply.

🧵
#law #Constitution #Judiciary #AbuseOfPower #Trump

#Boasberg again gets #DOJ to confirm that they are arguing that because he didn't include every word of that language in the written order, they could simply ignore what he said.

DOJ lawyer says that's what his client [#Trump] has instructed him to argue. Boasberg is incredulous & keeps pushing back.

🧵
#law #Constitution #ChecksAndBalances #JudicialBranch #Judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #AbuseOfPower #AlienEnemiesAct

#DOJ argues that the written order issued 40mins later supersedes anything said orally, & says that the DOJ "on good faith" only viewed the written order as binding, not what #Boasberg said in court.

Boasberg notes he said “you shall inform your clients immediately” ... that any planes that are going to take off, or are in the air, shall be turned around….

He asks "You're telling me your first argument" is that didn't apply because it wasn't in the minute order?

🧵
#law #Constitution #Trump