Supreme Court rules against Trump in Garcia case
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump Administration acted illegally when it snatched up a Maryland man, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, and sent him to a prison in El Salvador. A lower court judge had ordered the administration to bring the man back to the U.S., but the Trump Administration refused to obey the court order and made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. The administration admitted it made a mistake but so far has refused to do anything to try to get the man back to the U.S. The Supreme Court also ordered the case back to the lower court so the judge can provide a specific ruling on what the administration must do to facilitate the man’s return.
Sotomayor warns that Trump could throw anyone into a foreign prison
In a statement that accompanied the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Garcia case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that arguments made by Trump’s U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer to the Supreme Court imply that the administration believes it can pick up anyone, including U.S. citizens, and send them to a foreign prison, just as it has already done with immigrants. In those cases, the Trump Administration did not provide notice to the victims that they were going to be arrested and did not allow them to contact lawyers or go to court to try to prove their innocence. Sotomayor was joined in her statement by Justices Kagan and Jackson.
Chinese raise tariffs on U.S. goods, target U.S movies
The trade war started by Donald Trump with China entered a new phase today when China announced it is raising the tariffs on U.S. imports to 125%. Also, China ‘s film administration said it will reduce the number of U.S. movies it will allow to be shown in China. China has the world’s second largest movie exhibition business and without the Chinese audiences Hollywood studios may not be able to afford to continue making expensive blockbuster movies.
Holder issues a warning about Trump
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in an interview on MSNBC warned that lawyers, judges and Congress need to come together right now to stop Donald Trump from destroying the rule of law and assuming autocratic powers. Holder said that Trump is exactly the person that America’s founding fathers designed the republic to keep out of power. He said that Trump has started to go after his critics, go after the lawyers who would defend the people Trump targets, and now has a Department of Justice that fires lawyers who tell the truth to judges.
Trump Administration revokes Social Security numbers
The Trump Administration has revoked the legally-obtained Social Security numbers of thousands of immigrants according to a report by the Associated Press. By taking away their Social Security numbers, the administration would make it impossible for them to work in the U.S., be paid on payrolls, pay taxes, open bank accounts and do other things that require having a Social Security number. It’s reported that the administration has reclassified the targeted people as being dead and had their names added to a database of dead people. The intent appears to be to force those people to leave the U.S. after making it impossible for them to legally earn a living in the country.
Six killed in NYC helicopter crash
The pilot and all five passengers on board a sightseeing helicopter were killed when the aircraft crashed into the Hudson River off the New Jersey shoreline across from Manhattan. Witnesses reported that parts of the helicopter broke away from the aircraft before it began its descent into the water. The passengers were a family of two adults and three children from Spain. The parents worked for the German company Siemens. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.
