Trump administration's efforts to utilize the Alien Enemies Act thwarted by Supreme Court.
Rethinkin' It:
Yo, Scott! Let's get into the lowdown on ol' Prez Trump's immigration biz. He's been hustlin' to increase the speed of arrests and deportations, but that game plan ain't being a breeze in the Supreme Court. NPR's very own Ximena Bustillo has been on top of the case, and she's here to spill the tea.
Ximena, thanks a ton for joinin' us!
XIMENA: Hey, what's up!
The Supreme Court's Take:
Scott, yesterday the Supreme Court dropped their latest brownie on Trump's immigration policies, what they're callin' the Alien Enemies Act. Here's the deal: They've put the brakes on the deportations of Venezuelan immigrants in North Texas with this Act, at least temporarily.
Last year, Trump summoned the Alien Enemies Act, a seldom-used wartime power to streamline removals, but the court already gave the heads-up that the administration needs to let immigrants submit objections under this Act. Lawyers reppin' Venezuelans in a Texas detention facility petitioned to put a stop on their client's boots outta Dodge, claimin' they only got shorty notice they were 'bout to get expelled via the Alien Enemies Act.
The Supreme Court said they meant to guard their authority over the case, while giving the lower courts the opportunity to rule on how much notice should be given to those the government's eager to offload pronia. But the court didn't directly go over the legitimacy of Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act in the first place.
Critics Hit the Court:
When the court's judged Trump's policies, he's been goin' in hard on the judges, callin' for their impeachment. His response to this latest injunction? He said, "The Supreme Court won't let us kick criminals outta our country." And he hurled criticism at the court, claimin' 'cause they're not lettin' his team speed up the removal of migrants, they're not doing what the Prez was elected to do, i.e., deport 'em. The court's response? They pointed out that they believe there's more to it than a simple jaunt to the border. The court cited that once detainees land in custody of another government, it's challenging to intervene if there are errors.
Questions on Birthright Citizenship:
The Supreme Court also checked in on the arguments surrounding birthright citizenship. Most of the discussion focused on whether judges should grant universal injunctions, blocking a prez's policies. But the larger immigration implications were clear to the Court. During the arguments, Justice Brett Kavanaugh grilled the government on how they plan to manage babies born in the US when their parents ain't citizens. Government lawdogs admitted they weren't sure.
More Delays:
In other news, the White House's holdin' back on complying with orders from two federal judges on significant immigration cases. One of those judges lately hammered the administration for messin' around. Let me tell you about that situation.
Welp, Maryland federal Judge Paula Xinis is growin' testy with the government's attempts to hide info on their strategies to let go of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a guy livin' in Maryland who got deported to El Salvador by mistake. Xinis has ordered the government to lay it all out, but as of now, they're not cooperatin'. It's been over a month, and even the Supreme Court approved of Xinis' plan to help Abrego Garcia get back to the States, but the government's still comin' up short on the details.
In a Friday hearing, a Justice Department lawyer tried playin' the state secrets card to keep the info under wraps, but Judge Xinis is on to them. She ain't satisfied with the info she's received, explainin' that she just ain't got enough deets to see if the government's actions are warranted under national security concerns.
The government's refusal to comply with Judge Paula Xinis' orders regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case highlights an ongoing issue in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news, as it demonstrates the executive branch's resistance to transparency in matters related to immigration. Meanwhile, critics continue to question the legitimacy of President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations, as shown by the Supreme Court's recent decision to halt Venezuelan immigrant deportations in North Texas.
