Latest news with #AmericanJustice
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As American as Due Process
The U.S. is a nation of symbols: the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, baseball, apple pie. One symbol, however, has taken a beating lately, though it represents the core of the American project. Lady Justice predates the founding, but her likeness—blindfolded, holding scales and a sword—stands for the principles that the Founders insisted should rule the American legal system. While her spirit pervades the Constitution, it is most prominently featured in the Fifth Amendment's promise of due process: the principle that those accused of wrongdoing have the right to challenge the evidence against them before the government takes away their liberty. But not everyone who swore to uphold the Constitution is keeping that promise. "If you violated the law, you are not entitled to due process," Rep. Victoria Spartz (R–Ind.) said in a March town hall. In April, Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah) posted an image on X that encouraged travel to Canada. "We won't throw you into an El Salvadorian [sic] gulag without due process!" the image read. "[The U.S.] absolutely will," Lee responded. Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, was asked on ABC if people sent to El Salvador had any due process. "Where was Laken Riley's due process?" he replied, referring to the Georgia nursing student who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, an immigrant who was in the country illegally and was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the murder. Homan's non sequitur sums up the current debate, sparked by the Trump administration sending hundreds of Venezuelans it alleges to be gang members, without due process, to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a massive prison in El Salvador. That nation's president, Nayib Bukele, declared a state of emergency over three years ago and suspended basic civil liberties, such as the right to a fair trial. Questions about whether the administration is indeed expelling only dangerous gang members arose after CECOT received the men, the vast majority of whom have no criminal record. That includes, among others, Andry José Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist who appears to have been flagged because he has two crown tattoos, and Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, whom the Trump administration illegally sent to CECOT due to what it says was an "administrative error." To argue that Riley's murder, tragic though it was, justifies skirting due process fundamentally misunderstands the purpose of the doctrine. It is not to excuse criminal behavior, but to ensure that accusations—especially when they carry life-altering consequences—are publicly tested by evidence and judged fairly. Homan's logic would see due process abolished. It need not apply, he says, in the face of serious allegations or unsympathetic individuals, which is contrary to why the Founders demanded its inclusion in the Constitution. They knew the power of the state was dangerous. The government doesn't always get it right. "Because we said so" isn't sufficient reason to abrogate anyone's liberty. That the prisoners sent to CECOT were not citizens is irrelevant. The Supreme Court has repeatedly confirmed that even those suspected of being in the U.S. unlawfully are entitled to due process of law. And the people in question were not merely deported—they were sent without charge or conviction to a notorious megaprison, where Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has said she hopes the men are kept for life. Is it possible that Hernández Romero, Abrego Garcia, and others are members of a gang? It is. It is also possible they are not. Consider that one man Noem attempted to deport narrowly made it to a hearing before she could do so because the plane malfunctioned—and the government was not able to produce any evidence that he was a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to his attorney. Justice should not be reduced to vengeance, and constitutional rights should not be treated as privileges, revocable at a politician's whim. A country that claims to value liberty cannot shed the process meant to protect it. If due process is no longer sacred, neither is justice; and if some of us do not have due process, then none of us do. Trump has defined himself as someone who fights for American values: "Make America Great Again." You cannot do that by discarding one of the core values that made the U.S. exceptional. The post As American as Due Process appeared first on
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump announces Dan Bongino as Deputy FBI Director
President Trump announced Sunday that he would be choosing radio and podcast host Dan Bongino, a longtime Trump ally, as the deputy FBI director. 'Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel,' Trump said on Truth Social. Bongino is a former U.S. Secret Service agent that became known for his defense of Trump while previously appearing as a Fox News contributor. 'Thank you Mr. President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel,' Bongino posted on X. Trump highlighted that 'The Dan Bongino Show' host has a psychology master's degree from the City University of New York and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. 'He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York's Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,' Trump said. Trump offered up his congratulations and said Bongino will be working with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Patel to bring back fairness, justice, law and order to the country. Just days ago, Patel was confirmed by the Senate to lead the FBI. A staunch ally of Trump's, Patel was one of the more controversial picks over his previous remarks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump announces Dan Bongino as Deputy FBI Director
President Trump announced Sunday that he would be choosing radio and podcast hot Dan Bongino, a longtime Trump ally, as the deputy FBI director. 'Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel,' Trump said on Truth Social. Bongino is a former U.S. Secret Service agent that became known for his defense of Trump while previously appearing as a Fox News contributor. 'Thank you Mr. President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel,' Bongino posted on X. Trump highlighted that 'The Dan Bongino Show' host has a psychology master's degree from the City University of New York and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. 'He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York's Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,' Trump said. Trump offered up his congratulations and said Bongino will be working with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Patel to bring back fairness, justice, law and order to the country. Just days ago, Patel was confirmed by the Senate to lead the FBI. A staunch ally of Trump's, Patel was one of the more controversial picks over his previous remarks.
BBC News
04-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
FBI agents sue to stop unveiling of Capitol riot investigators
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials have handed a list of agents who worked on cases related to the US Capitol riot to the Department of Justice, the latest step towards an expected purge of the bureau's than 5,000 names were on the list, sources told CBS, the BBC's US news two lawsuits were filed on Tuesday on behalf of agents seeking to keep the names under developments are the latest struggles over the future of the main US federal law enforcement agency. President Donald Trump believes the FBI and DoJ under Joe Biden unfairly targeted him for prosecution. Last week, new officials appointed by the White House at the justice department – which oversees the FBI – fired dozens of prosecutors who pursued riot-related cases. Those prosecutors also had worked for special prosecutor Jack Smith, who brought charges against Trump for his alleged role in sparking the over the weekend, thousands of FBI employees were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their participation in the Capitol riot investigation – the largest in FBI to Tuesday's legal filings, the form included questions such as, "What was your role in the investigation(s) or prosecution(s) relating to events that occurred at or near the US Capitol on January 6, 2021?"On 6 January 2021, after a speech by Trump, his supporters broke into the US Capitol, delaying the certification of the 2020 presidential effectively ended the investigation into the riot within hours of taking office last month, and pardoned all but a handful of the nearly 1,600 rioters who had been convicted or charged with crimes. One of the lawsuits seeking to stop disclosure of agents' names alleges that the purpose of the list of FBI employees who worked on the riot and Trump classified documents cases "is to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action.""Donald Trump has made repeated public pronouncements of his intent to exact revenge upon persons he perceives to be disloyal to him," the filing for nine anonymous FBI agents also argue in the filing that revealing details of investigations would harm national security. It says that agents and their families would be "in immediate danger of retribution by the now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons" if their identities are revealed.A separate lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of another group of seven unnamed agents by the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) — an organization that represents thousands of current and former bureau employees. "FBI Special Agents who risk their lives protecting the country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized simply for doing their jobs," said FBIAA president Natalie pick to head the justice department, Pam Bondi, has not been sworn in to her post yet, although that is expected soon after a full Senate vote on her nomination the meantime the department is being run by acting chief Emil Bove, a White House appointee who formerly worked as one of Trump's defence BBC contacted the justice department for comment on Tuesday's lawsuits. The fight over the identities of the FBI agents comes as one of Trump's top advisors, tech billionaire Elon Musk, sought to stop the disclosure of names of employees in his unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).Doge is reportedly attempting to operate in a number of different US government departments. A response to a post on his X network listed several names of Doge employees; Musk replied "You have committed a crime", and the account posting the original message was accounts repeated the names, which also were disclosed in news reports.
