This historic court ruling is no longer visible on the Times home page. It should be leading the paper with a banner headline. Constitution crisis? Here it is.
The ruling begins by quoting James Madison to say that the Trump administration's attempted "accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
Strong words, but stronger are to come. The administration is committing terror. (1/5)
The court analyzes the many press released in which the government explains and justifies its deportation program and finds them rife with false statements and deliberate deception: "they ignore a greater, more dire reality."
The actions of the executive are found to be "unlawful" and "wanton."
"It is not the 'worst of the worst' that are swept into the
nationwide and reckless violations of the law by the executive branch.... Beyond its terror… (2/5)
against noncitizens, the executive branch has extended its violence on its own citizens, killing two American citizens— Renée Good and Alex Pretti."
The court has made its final judgment, and the regime lawlessly refuses to comply in more than 400 cases. (3/5)
"Respondents have far crossed the boundaries of constitutional conduct. Somehow, even after the judicial declaration of law that the DHS was misguided, Respondents still insist they can continue their campaign of illegal action. The shameless submission that is Respondents’ Opposition deliberately seeks to erode any semblance of separation of powers.
"Respondents can only do so in a world where the Constitution does not exist." (4/5)
That's right. The courts are struggling to function as Trump shreds the Constitution.
Full ruling here: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.980210/gov.uscourts.cacd.980210.116.0.pdf (5/5)
James Gleick
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