Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona was larger than life – America’s Toughest Sheriff. But when he became an anti-immigration profiler of Latinos, they organized and resisted – and that changed everything.
Read More
The Trump administration's immigration lawsuits against so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions pits the Justice Department against the doctrine of federalism, formerly a bedrock principle of conservative ideology.
Read More
Many people make their social media posts public. Everyone can see them, like a signed billboard visible anywhere in the world. So, what should we think when we learn that *some* police officers, in some departments, have been posting racist messages or memes endorsing violence, visible to anyone on the Internet?
Read More
Donald Trump's reelection campaign isn't exactly touting his criminal justice platform, but it's not hard to read the tea leaves on what a second Trump term might look like.
Read More
Many people make their social media posts public. Everyone can see them, like a signed billboard visible anywhere in the world. So, what should we think when we learn that *some* police officers, in some departments, have been posting racist messages or memes endorsing violence, visible to anyone on the Internet?
Read More
Donald Trump's (thus far unfulfilled) threats of mass immigration raids in major cities have led many to wonder: if ICE comes knocking with a deportation order, do I have to let them in? Unless they have an order from a real judge (not a DOJ-appointed immigration judge), the answer is NO.
Read More
Where does U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr get off ordering immigration judges around? Turns out many federal officials commonly referred to as "judges" -- those appointed under Article I -- are actually employed by and accountable to federal agencies (in this case, the Justice Department).
Read More
Law enforcement officers making an arrest have to identify themselves as cops... right?
Read More
The Trump administration has claimed its policy of separating children from their parents at the U.S. border is required under existing laws. That's true -- if you choose to carry out blanket criminal prosecution of all illegal border crossings, including those made by legitimate asylum-seekers. Why has every previous administration opted to enforce the law through civil proceedings only? And what does today's executive order actually do?
Read More
The presidential pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio was a message to Donald Trump's supporters: if you defy a federal court order, I've got your back. David explains how the notorious Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff was convicted of contempt of court, and why his pardon sets a dangerous precedent.
Read More
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is warning local law enforcement agencies to comply with requests from federal immigration authorities to assist them in detaining people suspected of being in the country illegally -- or face consequences. But as David explains, there could also be serious consequences for communities that do comply.
Read More
President Trump says self-styled "sanctuary cities" are breaking the law. But are cities under any actual obligation to enforce federal immigration law? And is there any evidence for Trump's claim that sanctuary status is linked with higher incidence of crime?
Read More
President Trump says self-styled "sanctuary cities" are breaking the law. But are cities under any actual obligation to enforce federal immigration law? And is there any evidence for Trump's claim that sanctuary status is linked with higher incidence of crime? David answers these questions and explains why many local law enforcement agencies want nothing to do with immigration enforcement.
Read More