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New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Birthright citizenship remains law of the land — for now — despite SCOTUS ruling
Birthright citizenship remains a fact of life in the US — for now — following the Supreme Court's ruling Friday limiting judges' ability to issue universal injunctions halting executive action. Moments after the 6-3 ruling, the Trump administration announced plans to move forward with the president's Day One executive order redefining the 14th Amendment's promise that '[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' 'Thanks to this decision, we can now promptly file to proceed with numerous policies that have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide basis, and some of the cases we're talking about would be ending birthright citizenship, which now comes to the fore,' President Trump said during a rare appearance in the White House briefing room. Advertisement The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling did not judge the birthright citizenship question on its merits. Eric Kayne/ZUMA / 'That was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation.' 'Yes, birthright citizenship will be decided in October in the next session by the Supreme Court,' Attorney General Pam Bondi affirmed moments later, even though the high court has yet to finalize its argument schedule and no cases related to the executive order have been picked for review by the justices. Advertisement In an opinion authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court ruled that the practice of a single district judge issuing a nationwide ruling 'likely exceed' the authority laid out by the Judiciary Act of 1789. Notably, the court did not decide whether Trump's actual order was constitutional. 'If there's a birthright citizenship case in Oregon, it will only affect the plaintiff in Oregon, not the entire country,' was how Bondi explained the ruling. Trump's order would limit US citizenship to children who have at least one parent who is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Advertisement The action was enjoined three days after Trump signed it by a Seattle federal judge, who called the move 'blatantly unconstitutional.' President Trump said the administration now can go forward with 'numerous policies that have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide basis.' On Friday afternoon, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a fresh class-action lawsuit challenging the birthright citizenship order, a legal maneuver which must meet certain requirements before getting a hearing. 'This new case seeks protection for all families in the country, filling the gaps that may be left by the existing litigation,' the organization said in a press release. Advertisement The 22 Democrat-led states that challenged Trump's order also expressed confidence that it would never be enforced. 'We have every expectation we absolutely will be successful in keeping the 14th Amendment as the law of the land,' said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, 'and of course birthright citizenship as well.' Locally, a City Hall spokesperson confirmed to The Post that Friday's Supreme Court ruling has no effect on New York City at this time. With Post wires
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
WH balks at executive privilege for ex-Biden aide over Joe's mental acuity
The White House counsel Tuesday said ex-Biden aide Neera Tanden is not shielded by executive privilege and thus must provide 'unrestricted testimony' on former President Joe Biden's mental acuity. The decision was issued before Tanden appeared before the GOP-led House Oversight Committee for closed-door testimony Tuesday to give insights for the panel's investigation of Biden's cognition and use of autopen. Executive privilege is the right that presidents enjoy to keep some of their internal communications confidential. It was invoked by several alumni of the first Trump administration during Democrat-led congressional scrutiny. Advertisement 4 Ex-Biden aide Neera Tanden has agreed to testify amid pressure from the House Oversight Committee. AP 'After balancing the Legislative and Executive Branch interests, as required under the accommodation process, it is the President's view that this presents an exceptional situation in which the congressional need for information outweighs the Executive Branch's interest in maintaining confidentiality,' wrote Gary Lawkowski, deputy White House counsel, in a letter to Tanden. 'President Trump has determined that he will not assert immunity to preclude you from testifying before the House Oversight Committee,' he added. Advertisement 4 House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer had long been a fierce adversary of former President Joe Biden. Getty Images Lawkowski stressed that the probe is aimed at 'determining the validity of prior executive actions,' which is why it's 'an exceptional situation.' Tanden served as a senior adviser to Biden from 2021 to 2023. Early on, Biden nominated her to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), but she lacked the votes needed because of a party defection by former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who cited her mean social-media posts, among other concerns. Later, Biden made Tanden his director of the Domestic Policy Council to help advise on critical policymaking issues. Advertisement At the end of Trump's first term, multiple former administration members repeatedly invoked executive privilege as a means of pushing back against congressional subpoenas, particularly from the since-defunct House Select Jan. 6 Committee. Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon and top trade adviser Peter Navarro famously declined to testify or furnish documents to the Jan. 6 panel. They were later prosecuted for contempt of Congress and served time in jail as a result. 4 President Trump has several allies who sought to make executive privilege claims before congressional committees. AFP via Getty Images The Oversight Committee has pursued interviews with a slew of Biden administration alumni for its sweeping investigation into the former president's mental state and whether his executive orders were legitimate. Advertisement Upcoming testimony will include that of former Biden senior aides Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams and Annie Tomasini, none of whom were subpoenaed. Bernthal, who previously served as the chief of staff to former first Lady Jill Biden — and is generally seen as the most powerful person to ever hold that position — is set to talk to the panel Thursday. 4 Biden has hit back at characterizations that he was in cognitive decline during his administration. AP Additionally, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, who served as the former White House physician for Biden, is slated to appear for testimony July 9. In tandem with the Oversight Committee investigation into Biden and his use of the autopen, the Trump administration is pursuing multiple related probes. Earlier this month, Trump instructed US Attorney General Pam Bondi to initiate an inquiry into Biden's autopen use. Biden has downplayed concerns about his mental condition and insisted that he made the decisions behind everything that had his autopen signature. 'I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' Biden said in a statement earlier this month.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
DOJ Sues Against Law That Church Threatened To Excommunicate Priests Over
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against a new law that demands priests report child abuse revealed during private confession. One American Archbishop and other Catholic Church figures warned priests will be excommunicated for obiding by Washington State's new law set to take effect on July 27. Why It Matters The issue spotlights the enduring tension between religious freedom and the state's duty to protect children from abuse. The laws proponents argue it's necessary to help safeguard against child abuse, while critics argue that compelling clergy to breach the confessional seal damages their ability to practise religion freely. The outcome may influence how other states approach mandated reporting requirements for clergy, especially as constitutional and civil rights groups enter the debate. Stock image shows a priest in the confessional recites the rosary awaiting penitent. Stock image shows a priest in the confessional recites the rosary awaiting penitent. Getty Images What To Know The Democrat-led state of Washington passed a law in May requiring clergy to report any suspected child abuse and neglect learned during confession, which was previously exempt, within 48 hours of hearing of it. The Archdiocese of Seattle responded, saying: "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession—or they will be excommunicated from the Church." Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle said: "Priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation." The Justice Department's lawsuit backed the Catholic leaders in a legal filing on Monday, arguing the law "unlawfully targets clergy and, specifically, Catholic priests" and "directly interferes with and substantially burdens this sacred rite" of confession. "Complying with [new law] SB 5375 under these circumstances would place Catholic priests fundamentally at odds with the core tenets and beliefs of their religion, and even prohibit them from continuing to serve as priests in the Catholic church," it added. "Under Catholic canon law, priests are "prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is excluded." Washington Senator Noel Frame, a Democrat who sponsored the initial bill, has rejected church leaders' talk of excommunicating priests, and suggested the church change its own rules. "I am reminded that Canon law has changed many times over the years in the Catholic faith and there's nothing to say they cannot change their rules to allow the reporting of real time abuse and neglect of children," she told NPR last month. "That is within their power to change and I think they should so." The Justice Department, in a news release announcing the lawsuit, argued the bill "violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession" and would deprive them of the free exercise of religion, something protected under the first amendment and the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. They added that this would subject them to "immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church." What People Are Saying Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., told Newsweek via email on Tuesday: "The DoJ has a history of intervening where States impose laws that appear to impinge on citizens' rights to practice religion freely. In so doing, it is upholding rights enshrined by the First Amendment. While the Washington Senate Bill may be making the headlines now, it's just the latest in a long line of state laws that have fallen foul of Constitutional rights." Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a release: "Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society. Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion." In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, who signed the law, said: "It is disappointing, but not surprising, to see the DOJ seek to shield and protect child abusers." What Happens Next The law is set to go into effect on July 27. Meanwhile, it is facing another lawsuit from bishops of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the dioceses of Spokane and Yakima who raised concerns about religious freedom.
The Herald Scotland
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Vance travels to LA to meet Marines deployed against protesters
A brief issued Friday by the vice president's office said he will tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center and a Federal Mobile Command Center in Los Angeles. Vance, a former Marine, is scheduled to meet with leadership and Marines and deliver brief remarks. Protests against ICE raids erupted in Los Angeles in early June. Nationwide "No Kings" protests against Trump's aggressive expansion of executive power occurred on June 14 in cities across the country A small minority of protesters in Los Angeles violently attacked federal law enforcement, and President Donald Trump responded by deploying the California National Guard, despite objections by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Democrat-led city is home to millions of immigrants and is a melting pot of Latino, Asian and other cultures. More: Trump using National Guard for deportation work could go into 'uncharted territory' Some 4.2 million people, or nearly a third of the 13 million residents of greater Los Angeles, are foreign-born, according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census data.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
JD Vance heads to Los Angeles to meet troops deployed against protesters
Protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement turned violent earlier this month. Vice President JD Vance is heading to Los Angeles to meet troops deployed to quell protests against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions. Vance's trip on June 20 is the highest-level visit by a Trump administration official to a city that has become the epicenter of resistance against a White House campaign to deport millions of immigrants from the country. A brief issued Friday by the vice president's office said he will tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center and a Federal Mobile Command Center in Los Angeles. Vance, a former Marine, is scheduled to meet with leadership and Marines and deliver brief remarks. Protests against ICE raids erupted in Los Angeles in early June. Nationwide "No Kings" protests against Trump's aggressive expansion of executive power occurred on June 14 in cities across the country A small minority of protesters in Los Angeles violently attacked federal law enforcement, and President Donald Trump responded by deploying the California National Guard, despite objections by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Democrat-led city is home to millions of immigrants and is a melting pot of Latino, Asian and other cultures. More: Trump using National Guard for deportation work could go into 'uncharted territory' Some 4.2 million people, or nearly a third of the 13 million residents of greater Los Angeles, are foreign-born, according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census data.
