The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday appealed a ruling that dismissed indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey. The case focuses on the legality of Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as Interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.  In November, Cameron Mcgowan Currie, senior judge for [...]

The US Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear a case challenging the federal illegality of marijuana. The case, Canna Provisions v. Bondi, was brought by four Massachusetts commercial cannabis growers. The businesses alleged that the Controlled Substances Act exceeds the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause and violates the right to [...]

US District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia again, pending further hearings. The TRO came only a few hours after Judge Xinis ordered Abrego Garcia’s release from ICE custody in Pennsylvania. In the TRO, Judge Xinis wrote, “Abrego Garcia [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a case with the potential to overturn a long-established limit on the president’s power to fire the leaders of independent agencies. The limit was established in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935). The present case, Trump v. Slaughter, centers on the legality of President Donald [...]

The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide on the principle of birthright citizenship, which holds that all children born on US soil are American citizens. The principle of birthright citizenship is rooted in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and US President Donald Trump has called upon the court to [...]

A former US immigration judge filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice (DOJ), charging violations of her civil rights. Tania Nemer, who was released from her position as an immigration judge in February, contends that she was dismissed because of her sex, her ethnicity, and her political affiliation with the Democratic Party. In [...]

US District Judge Sara Ellis on Friday ordered federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to limit use force, prohibiting riot-control weapons against journalists or protestors except under specific and narrow conditions.  The preliminary injunction is the latest in an ongoing court battle that started with a class action suit alleging First Amendment violations, filed [...]

Amnesty International reported Monday that the Tanzanian government has shut down internet access and electric power, suppressing attempts to gather information about nationwide unrest following its October 29 elections. Vongai Chikwanda, deputy regional director for Amnesty, said: “Amnesty … is particularly alarmed by reports that amidst the blackouts, security forces have used excessive force to [...]

The US administration announced sanctions Friday against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family, and Colombia’s Minister of the Interior Armando Benedetti.  The US will also reduce financial assistance to Colombia by about $18 million. According to the US Treasury Department, the sanctions mean that all properties and property interests owned in the United States by [...]

On Saturday, I joined the No Kings Day (NKD) protest in the US state of Pennsylvania. The mood was markedly different from the last protest I attended, in June. Last time, I felt afraid—using that word several times in my June dispatch. So much has changed since then. This time, I felt the opposite: joy, [...]