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Coney Barrett offers a glimmer of hope in fight against Trump polices

Coney Barrett offers a glimmer of hope in fight against Trump polices

Boston Globe09-04-2025
This case focused on the fate of Venezuelan immigrants who were rounded up and sent to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which gives the president authority to detain and deport citizens of enemy nations in times of war. Saying they were gang members, without providing any evidence in court or anywhere else, the Trump administration said that made them enemies, subject to deportation.
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In a 17-page dissent, Sotomayor called that for what it is — baloney. As she wrote, 'even the majority today agrees … that individuals subject to removal under the Alien Enemies Act are entitled to adequate notice and judicial review before they can be removed. That should have been the end of the matter.' Instead, she wrote, the majority held that location of the court proceeding is what matters' without mention of the 'grave harm Plaintiffs will face if they are erroneously removed to El Salvador or regard for the Government's attempts to subvert the judicial process throughout this litigation.'
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Sotomayor's dissent concluded with these words: 'The Government's conduct in this litigation poses an extraordinary threat to the rule of law. … We, as a Nation and a court of law, should be better than this.'
Coney Barrett did not sign on to some of Sotomayor's more critical language about the Trump administration, but to Trump acolytes legal nuance does not matter.
Also on X, Ann Coulter
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Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah called Coney Barrett's position 'disappointing,' while Elon Musk commented 'Suicidal empathy is a civilizational risk.'
I do not pretend to know what Coney Barrett really thinks about any of this or where she will end up on other cases involving Trump's power.
She joined the majority of justices who
For those bringing the fight to Trump in court, any show of bravery is welcome.
'Courage is contagious,' Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, told me. While we see a lot of people in positions of power bowing to Trump, 'It's really important that we recognize people who are standing up for the Constitution and rule of law. That includes judges, lawyers, law firms, and elected officials who are speaking out and doing what's right,' she said.
Given Trump's attacks on the judiciary, it takes courage for any judge to challenge him, especially a conservative judge chosen by him for the highest court in the land.
It may be false hope to think that Coney Barrett will be a key vote down the road when it comes to reining him in, but that's better than no hope. Of course, it will take two courageous justices, not one, to form a majority that can stop him.
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Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
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Tejano singer Bobby Pulido is considering running for Congress
Tejano singer Bobby Pulido is considering running for Congress

Los Angeles Times

time3 minutes ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Tejano singer Bobby Pulido is considering running for Congress

Tejano singer Bobby Pulido is taking steps toward a congressional bid in South Texas to challenge Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz. On Thursday, Pulido announced that he is launching an exploratory committee to look at 'possibly' running as a Democrat for a U.S. Congress position in 2026. The 'Desvelado' singer took to social media to clarify his reasons for his shift away from music and toward politics. 'Many of you know me from my music career, so you know I'm not a career politician, but I've always had a desire to serve,' Pulido said in a Thursday Instagram video. 'I studied political science at St. Mary's University [in San Antonio] before I decided to launch a music career. And I've chosen to leave the stage to see if I can help make the future a little bit better for our kids and our community.' The Edinburg, Texas, native took aim at De La Cruz's management of the Lone Star State's 15th Congressional District. 'Like a lot of South Texans, I'm tired of watching these folks like Monica De La Cruz go to Washington and put her party before the people,' he said. 'She's made that choice every single time.' Pulido promised he would listen to the voices of 'everyday Texans' regardless of their political affiliations or professions, before saying he is prepping to host 'ranch halls' to meet and learn from potential constituents. The 54-year-old performer will face an uphill battle if his potential campaign takes off as Texas emergency physician Dr. Ada Cuellar launched her campaign as a Democrat for the same congressional seat on July 17. Pulido said he got the idea to pursue political office from Lorena Saenz Gonzalez, the wife of Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas). She told Pulido she was impressed with his political knowledge and nudged him to consider running for office. Gonzalez had previously served as the 15th District's representative but announced in October 2021 that he would run in the 34th District due to the statewide redistricting done by the Texas Legislature in fall 2021. The redistricting was criticized for leading to the dilution of the Latino vote in the region and upheld as a prime example of Republican gerrymandering. In 2022, De La Cruz became the district's first Republican representative following the restricting and was reelected in 2024. President Trump also became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the majority of votes in the district in decades during the 2020 election. Speaking on the redrawing of the 15th District, Pulido was very clear on where he stands. 'I'm not happy with the redistricting. I think it's cheating, and I don't think this is what democracy should be like,' he told The Times Friday afternoon. 'But at the end of the day, you can draw the lines, but you can't draw the people.' One way he aims to focus on the people of the district is through his emphasis on immigration policy. 'Nobody wants to fix it, everybody wants to campaign on it — we absolutely need comprehensive immigration reform,' Pulido said. 'We should not have to choose between let them all in or kick them all out. People on both sides have to have the will to actually do something about it.' He also expressed concern for the struggle of immigrants amid the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids happening nationwide. 'They're ripping people from families, and then, you know, they're taking even American citizens and detaining them just based on how they look, and so it has to stop,' Pulido said. We have to do something about it, we can't continue to ignore it, because people are not pawns and that's what I feel is happening.' Another major issue for the musician-turned-hopeful-politician is the struggling economy of the Rio Grande Valley. 'I feel the economy and tariffs need to be addressed,' Pulido said. 'By all the metrics that we're seeing, even on a national scale, [the economy] is not well. Inflation is going higher, and I don't think these [current] policies are what the people expected; it's not giving us good results.' Pulido also expressed concern for the state of healthcare in the district, noting that people often prefer to go across the border for medical services. 'We have a lot of people that go get their healthcare in Mexico because it's more affordable. I'm not talking about a little difference; it's an astronomical difference,' he said. 'It's just it's very sad that people have to go to another country to get the healthcare that they can afford, and I feel like special interests have really dug their claws into politicians and they don't do anything to help the people.' The 'Se Murió de Amor' musician acknowledged that the Democratic Party has failed the district, which has led to Republican gains. 'I feel like the party's been a little bit negligent and not really addressing the values that Latinos have,' Pulido explained. 'I don't think the Republicans have done anything special. I don't think that's the case, but nonetheless, I think a lot of people down there feel like their vote was taken for granted.' He explained that he wants to run an 'issues-based campaign,' making sure not to run on a platform of 'vote for me because I'm famous.' 'We have to really go work on issues that affect everyday people's lives,' Pulido said. 'So that's what I intend to do, if the people are accepting of me being as a candidate, and we'll find out with these with these ranch halls.' In November, Pulido announced that he would be leaving music behind after a 2025 farewell tour to pursue a career in politics. 'To be quite honest, I'm enjoying the most success I've ever had. But like the saying goes: All good things must come to an end,' Pulido said last year during a press conference. 'Today, I'm announcing my farewell tour for next year. It's not a decision I have hastily made. I've given it a lot of thought. I think my life has reached a full circle.' He added, 'Growing up, public service always intrigued me. I was a Texas Boy Stater in high school and studied political sciences because it was a passion of mine. In 2026, I will be running for office in an attempt to fulfill my lifelong dream: to serve my people.'

Sex fiend who murdered teen girl busted for groping woman in NY park while out on parole, sparking outrage
Sex fiend who murdered teen girl busted for groping woman in NY park while out on parole, sparking outrage

New York Post

time3 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Sex fiend who murdered teen girl busted for groping woman in NY park while out on parole, sparking outrage

A paroled sex fiend who killed a teenage girl in Rockland County was busted again this month for allegedly groping a woman — leading incensed lawmakers to blast the state board that freed him. Robert McCain clinched his release from the state Parole Board on his 10th attempt in 2021 after serving four decades behind bars in the grisly 1980 stabbing of 16-year-old Paula Bohovesky. But the 64-year-old convicted murderer couldn't stay out of trouble. Paroled sex fiend Robert McCain, 64, who killed a teenage girl in Rockland County, was busted again this month for allegedly groping a woman. Martin Raab – He was arrested for allegedly fondling a woman as the two were chatting in an upper Westchester County dog park on July 5. 'This disgraceful and utterly predictable incident highlights precisely why Robert McCain never should have been granted parole,' Republican Rep. Mike Lawler said in a statement. 'As an Assemblyman, I led the charge against Robert's release, demanding the Parole Board keep this hardened criminal behind bars, but they tragically prioritized pro-criminal ideology over the safety of our community,' the Hudson Valley congressman said. 'The entire Parole Board should resign in disgrace immediately – their constant release of child rapists, cop-killers, and the worst criminals has made New York less safe.' McCain was hit with a misdemeanor charge of forcible touching and was being held at the Westchester County jail on $25,000 bail, authorities said Friday. The victim, a 'casual acquaintance' of McCain, told cops he groped her at the park in Cortlandt — the town where the jailbird now resides, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety said. State prison officials said a Department of Corrections and Community Supervision warrant was issued against McCain and lodged with the Westchester jail, where he will remain until a parole revocation hearing. McCain and co-defendant Richard LaBarbera were convicted of murder in 1981 for Bohovesky's slaying and each hit with the maximum prison term of 25 years to life. McCain served 40 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Paula Bohovesky in 1980. Roman Tiraspolsky – The creeps spotted the teen as she was walking home from her part-time job in Pearl River and McCain chucked a piece of pavement at her head and then beat her. The sick pair then dragged the girl behind an empty house and sexually assaulted her before LaBarbera stabbed her five times in the back. Her brutalized body was found face down near a pool of blood the next morning and her jeans were around her ankles. After about 40 years in prison, McCain was granted parole 2021 despite calls from various elected officials and the victim's elderly mother to keep him locked up. LaBarbera was released in 2020. A close friend of the Bohovesky family, Bob Baird, told The Post the teen's mother, Lois, was 'comforted' that McCain was back in custody Friday 'and that it didn't take a woman losing her life to get him there.' 'The two men who killed her daughter should never have seen the light of day and probably wouldn't if New York State wasn't so bent on closing prisons and saving expenses on aging prisoners,' Baird said. State Assemblyman Matt Slater, who represents part of Westchester, said the fact the parole board had let a child killer out 'should make every New Yorker sick.' 'The parole board continues to be an embarrassing failure that enables criminals, and in this instance, creates new victims.' Lawler said the board's decision to release McCain was 'irresponsible and reprehensible.' 'Their negligence has now created another victim at the hands of this monster, and they need to be held accountable,' he said. Roughly half of the current parole board members were on the panel in 2021 as appointments of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Others have since been appointed by Cuomo's successor Gov. Kathy Hochul — and have continued to face backlash in recent years for letting out an assortment of cop killers to the shock of victims' families and lawmakers. A spokesperson for the parole board said in a statement Friday that its members weigh 'multiple factors' and must follow numerous guidelines and laws when deciding whether to release an inmate. 'Prior to making a final decision, the board members must follow the statutory requirements which take ‎into consideration many factors, including statements made by victims and victims' families, if any, as well as an individual's criminal history, institutional accomplishments, potential to successfully reintegrate into the community, and perceived risk to public safety,' the rep said. The defense attorney for McCain, Robert Nachamie, claimed the victim in the groping case wasn't credible and said his client has pleaded not guilty. He also noted McCain has held a job and lived in the same home for the last couple years. 'I'm not saying what he did in the past isn't horrific and terrible and I feel bad for the family but he did his time I believe,' Nachamie said. 'Whether it was enough I can't say. I don't know what I would do if I lost my daughter.' Baird, 77, who worked for the local newspaper at the time of the 1981 slaying and has since become an advocate for the Bohovesky family, called McCain an 'animal.' 'I don't like to use the term but when you think about what was done to Paula … she was smacked on the back of the head with a piece of concrete, stabbed repeatedly, strangled, sexually molested and left to die in a pool of her own blood,' he said. 'It doesn't get much more depraved than that.' — Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden

Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's lawsuit against Chicago over its sanctuary city policies
Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's lawsuit against Chicago over its sanctuary city policies

NBC News

time4 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's lawsuit against Chicago over its sanctuary city policies

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump administration that sought to block the enforcement of several "sanctuary policies" in Illinois that restricted the ability of local officials to aid federal immigration authorities in detainment operations. In a 64-page decision, District Court Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins, a Biden appointee, granted a motion by the state of Illinois to dismiss the case after determining the United States lacks standing to sue over the sanctuary policies. The judge noted in the ruling that Illinois' decision to enact the sanctuary laws are protected by the 10th amendment, which declares that any powers not specifically given to the federal government, or denied to the states, by the Constitution, are retained by the states. 'The Sanctuary Policies reflect Defendants' decision to not participate in enforcing civil immigration law—a decision protected by the Tenth Amendment and not preempted by the [Immigration and Nationality Act],' the judge wrote. 'Because the Tenth Amendment protects Defendants' Sanctuary Policies, those Policies cannot be found to discriminate against or regulate the federal government.' The federal judge wrote that granting the administration's request would create an "end-run around the Tenth Amendment." 'It would allow the federal government to commandeer States under the guise of intergovernmental immunity—the exact type of direct regulation of states barred by the Tenth Amendment.' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker praised the dismissal, which he said will ensure state law enforcement is "not carrying out the Trump administration's unlawful policies or troubling tactics." "As state law allows, Illinois will assist the federal government when they follow the law and present warrants to hold violent criminals accountable. But what Illinois will not do is participate in the Trump administration's violations of the law and abuses of power," Pritzker said in a statement. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump Justice Department sued the state of Illinois and Cook County, the home of Chicago, in February for policies it argued infringed on the ability of federal authorities to enforce immigration laws, the first lawsuit by the administration aimed specifically at targeting "sanctuary jurisdictions," a label applied to states, cities, counties or municipalities that establish laws to prevent or limit local officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. In the 22-page lawsuit, filed days after Attorney General Pam Bondi was confirmed by the Senate, the Justice Department sought to block state, city and county ordinances that prohibit local law enforcement from assisting the federal government with civil immigration enforcement absent a criminal warrant. Bondi said the policies "obstruct" the federal government. 'The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,' the lawsuit indicates. The administration has taken similar action to target sanctuary jurisdictions across the country, including a lawsuit this week against New York City, which was described by the Justice Department as 'the vanguard of interfering with enforcing this country's immigration laws' in a complaint filed on Thursday. The administration filed a separate lawsuit targeting New York state in February over it's 'Green Light Law,' which enables undocumented immigrants to apply for noncommercial driver's licenses and bars state officials from turning over that data to federal immigration authorities. The Justice Department in June filed a complaint against Los Angeles for immigration policies it argued interfere and discriminate against federal immigration agents by treating them differently from other law enforcement agents in the state. The suit came as Trump administration officials increasingly sparred with California Democratic leaders after immigration detainment efforts in the state led to clashes between protesters and federal authorities, and resulted in the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops. In January, Trump signed an executive order directing Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to ensure sanctuary jurisdictions 'do not receive access to federal funds' and to consider pursuing criminal or civil penalties if localities 'interfere with the enforcement of Federal law.' A federal judge in April blocked the effort to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions, finding that Trump's order violated the Constitution's separation of powers principles. That judge blocked an earlier effort by Trump in 2017.

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