Latest news with #Reconstruction
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE Barbie Offers Her Own Made-Up Definition of Habeas Corpus
Kristi Noem gave an egregiously wrong definition of the legal principle habeas corpus while testifying to senators Tuesday. 'Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country,' President Donald Trump's homeland security secretary said. She was quickly cut off by the stunned senator who had asked her to define the term, Maggie Hassan. 'That's incorrect,' the New Hampshire Democrat said. Hassan explained that the well-known legal concept refers to a detained person's right to know why they are being held so they can challenge their imprisonment in court. The Trump administration is considering revoking habeas corpus, which is enshrined by the Constitution, allowing it to hold detainees without any recourse to challenge their detention. 'If not for that protection, the government could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason,' Hassan told Noem. 'Habeas corpus is the foundational right that separates free societies like America from police states like North Korea.' After schooling Noem, Hassan asked her if she supported habeas corpus. 'I support habeas corpus,' answered Noem, who was testifying to Congress about the Department of Homeland Security's budget. 'I also recognize that the president of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not.' Article I of the Constitution says that habeas corpus 'shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public safety may require it.' While the Constitution doesn't specify who holds the power to suspend habeas corpus, throughout the history of America, the power has belonged to Congress, not the president. Habeas corpus has only been suspended four times. It was suspended throughout the country during the Civil War, in eleven South Carolina counties controlled by the Ku Klux Klan during the Reconstruction, in the Philippines during its 1905 insurrection, and in Hawaii after the Pearl Harbor bombing in 1941. The Trump administration has faced legal pushback on its attempts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants and non-citizen activists without due process. Stephen Miller, one of Trump's top aides who is behind his mass deportation strategy, said earlier this month that habeas corpus was a 'privilege' that the administration is looking at suspending. Noem's agency has played a key role in carrying out the mass deportation plan. She has earned the nickname ICE Barbie for often donning garish outfits to cosplay as a boots-on-the-ground law enforcement officer.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'The Camilla Massacre continues' … divided citizens confront Camilla leadership days after mayor's arrest
CAMILLA – Just three days after his release from the Mitchell County Jail, Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens addressed a crowded city hall during a called council meeting, Monday. The meeting's intent, Owens said, was to keep the public informed on the ongoing legal situation involving himself, City Clerk Cheryl Ford and Election Superintendent Rhunette Williford. The three were arrested on election interference and other charges on May 28 then released on bond last Friday. At Monday's meeting, an Atlanta-based transactional attorney spoke over Zoom and shared her legal opinion that under a Camilla ordinance, the city is obligated to pay for the trio's legal fees. The mayor confirmed that a written request for this payment was submitted to the city attorney. 'The basis of it (the ordinance) is that if you are a city official, or an employee, an elected official, and you're operating within your job and your title, then there should be some degree of support if you're doing that particular job,' Owens said during the press conference. 'No employee or elected official should feel threatened in operating within the scope of their job. Dozens showed up in support of the mayor and to speak out against what they believe is systemic racism plaguing the city. A smaller minority showed up and rebutted racist accusations. They expressed concerns over corruption, citing November's canceled – and then resumed – special election among other matters. Despite the mayor's attempt at transparency to Camilla citizens, the meeting ended with a clear divide – one that Camilla's black residents say is ingrained in the city's history. Camilla's City Hall was so packed Monday, that people brought foldable camping chairs to sit outside the council room, leaning toward the door to listen to what was happening inside. Charlie Will Dixon, an 80-year-old lifelong Mitchell County resident, made sure to have a front row seat in the room. When public comment began, he rose slowly, using a walker to make his way to the podium. 'The reason we are here today is because the Camilla massacre continues in Mitchell County,' Dixon said. 'It started in 1868, and it hasn't ceased yet. It's carrying on because of racist white people in this community.' Charlie Will Dixon talks about systemic racism in Mitchell County during a special called meeting Monday. Staff Photo: Lucille LanniganThe so-called 'Camilla Massacre' took place on Sept. 19, 1968. It was a violent episode of Reconstruction in Georgia. Hundreds of black people and a few white people marched from Albany to Camilla to attend a Republican political rally. As the marchers entered the courthouse square, white people opened fire on the group, shooting and killing about a dozen and wounding nearly 30. White people reportedly continued to assault the group as they marched back to Albany. This violence intimidated many black people who remained home on Election Day, and white leaders reportedly misplaced black votes through fraud at the polls, therefore sweeping the election. This history wasn't directly addressed by the city until 1998. 'My great-great grandparents were shot and ran off the street in Mitchell County,' Dixon said. 'During that week … white people in Mitchell paraded through the black community to make sure they didn't come to vote. … It's the same thing being carried on today. They don't want blacks in political positions. They don't want us to vote.' Camilla's council consists of a black mayor, three black councilmen, two white councilmen and a white councilwoman. Owens said when he took office, along with three black councilmen, in 2022 that they formed the 'first progressive, black voting block' in a city where 68% of its roughly 5,000 residents are black. Owens told The Albany Herald in November that not everyone was happy about this voting power of four black men. Tensions followed as lawsuits challenging residency of two black councilmen, demands that a black Councilman's name be removed from a November 2024 special election ballot because of these residency issues, and a canceled – then resumed – special election that led to election interference arrests. Several Camilla residents showed up at Monday's meeting to deny racist intentions from community members. 'It's not about race,' Camilla resident Joe Marsh said. 'It's about what's right and what's wrong. If you know you're going to break the law, then you suffer the consequences.' On a Facebook page called 'Camilla for Transparency,' anonymous residents break down concerns about inappropriate spending and misused city funds. In January, the group posted against the Cobblestone Hotel project. At a January meeting, the council discussed the prospect of issuing a $13 million bond for constructing the hotel. Commenters on the Facebook page were adamant that it would be a misuse of taxpayer money. Charlette Wimberly, a 50-year-old Camilla resident, said she believes the mayor and three council members are doing what's best for the city but are constantly being challenged by a divided council and city. 'The city has progressed more in the last six years than it ever has,' Wimberly told The Albany Herald. 'We've been moving forward … vs. where we were this time 10 years ago. There were no amenities for the citizens … council members voted against them. Wimberly said she's been most impressed by the new Community Resource Center, which houses the Boys & Girls Club. The project was estimated to cost about $2.5 million in 2022, fully funded by the city. Charlette Wimberly urges the city to put aside 'black and white' and work together as a city. Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan'That was a dilapidated gym that kids had been playing in for years and years,' Wimberly said. 'They tore that gym down, and now the kids have a modern facility to do things in.' She said she also feels current city leadership is finally supporting its senior residents. On Friday, the first Senior Citizen Sneaker Gala was held. Mayor Owens attended the event on the same day he was released from jail. 'We'd been planning this for months, and I thought it was important for me to be there,' he said. 'Even though I was tired, and there was a lot happening in my life at the time, I had to remind myself that it's not about me. I recognized that showing up for this Sneaker Ball would be important for our seniors.' Owens said showing up for Camilla's citizens is what he plans to continue doing, 'until something changes.' He maintains that the indictment is just an accusation. Owens told The Albany Herald in November that he used emergency powers to cancel the November special election after the elections superintendent resigned the night before. Williford and Ford cited 'mental duress, stress and coercion experienced by recent court decisions' regarding their role in elections and a 'requirement to violate our oath of office' as reasons for resignation in a November letter. Two council members challenged the city's obligation to pay legal fees. 'In my opinion, the allowance of paying city attorneys and fines and penalties and so forth to individuals that are voting for this to enrich themselves is totally and absolutely against the law,' Councilman W.D. Palmer said. Councilwoman Azalee Vereen said her priority is what's in the best interest of the city, and court costs approaching $123,000 would create a financial burden. 'I love this city. I've been living here for 34 years, and it makes me sad that we are here today,' Vereen said. 'But this is not racial in the eyes of the district attorney, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Mitchell County grand jury. This is a criminal prosecution.'
E&E News
4 days ago
- General
- E&E News
NPS expands network of sites that explore the post-Civil War era
The National Park Service has added seven locations around the U.S. to a nexus of museums and historical sites that help tell the story of the United States during and after the Civil War. The Reconstruction Era, dating between 1861 and 1900, 'is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood periods in American History and includes stories of freedom, education and self-determination,' the service said in a news release. 'We are very excited to work with these sites which are being added to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network,' Park Superintendent Laura Waller said in a statement. 'They represent a wide variety of the types of institutions engaged in preserving the story of Reconstruction around the country.' Advertisement The places being added to the park service's Reconstruction Era National Historic Network include Tolson's Chapel, an African American church and cemetery in Maryland that was used as a school between 1866 and 1899.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Business
- LBCI
Turkish airline AJET to begin flights to Damascus in mid-June
Turkish budget carrier AJET, a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, announced it will launch flights to Damascus International Airport from both Istanbul and Ankara starting mid-June, marking a notable development in regional air connectivity. In a statement, AJET said it will begin operations from Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul on June 16, initially offering four flights per week, with plans to expand to daily service starting in July. Flights from the Turkish capital, Ankara, are scheduled to commence on June 17, running three times a week. This move follows Turkish Airlines' resumption of flights to Damascus in January, after a 13-year suspension prompted by the Syrian civil war. Turkey, a key ally of Syria's new government, has pledged support for the reconstruction of Syria, with Turkish Transport Minister noting that Ankara has already contributed to upgrading and maintaining Syrian airports. Reuters
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
For deportations, can a US president suspend the 'writ of habeas corpus'?
Question: Can a U.S. President suspend the "writ of habeas corpus"? Answer: The writ of habeas corpus is a safeguard against unlawful detention. It requires the government to justify, under the law, holding someone in custody. The U.S. Constitution mentions only a few rights explicitly in its original text, and habeas corpus is one of them. Historically, this writ was used to try and free people who were imprisoned or detained without judicial process and was a significant reform against the King of England to prevent unlawful or arbitrary imprisonment. The writ allows individuals to petition a court to determine the legality of their detention. In the U.S. today, it is primarily used to challenge the legality or sufficiency of the legal process. So, can a President suspend it? The short answer is probably not — at least not on his own. The longer answer involves constitutional interpretation, historical precedent, and a bit of Civil War history. The Constitution addresses habeas corpus in Article I, Section 9, which lays out limits on Congress, not the President. It reads: 'The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.' The placement in Article I is important, as this article is about the powers and structure of the legislature. The placement suggests that the power to suspend belongs to Congress. That view was confirmed in 1861, during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln unilaterally suspended habeas corpus in parts of the country. In response, Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled in Ex parte Merryman that Lincoln's actions were unconstitutional because only Congress had the authority to suspend the writ. Eventually, Congress passed the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act of 1863, giving Lincoln the power by law, which made the issue moot. There have only been four suspensions of the writ of habeas corpus since the Constitution was ratified. The writ was suspended during the Civil War; in parts of South Carolina during Reconstruction; in two provinces of the Philippines during a 1905 insurrection; and in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor. In modern times, no President has tried to suspend habeas corpus without congressional approval. Cerabino on Trump: Three reasons Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is bad for Florida Even during World Wars, the Cold War, and the aftermath of 9/11, presidents have relied on laws passed by Congress to detain individuals or limit court access, but the writ itself has remained intact. In fact, the Supreme Court has repeatedly reinforced its importance. In Boumediene v. Bush (2008), the High Court ruled that detainees at Guantánamo Bay had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, even though they were held outside the United States. The Court called habeas corpus a 'fundamental precept of liberty.' Nonetheless, there are scholars who argue that the President might have some "emergency authority" in cases where Congress is unable to act. It is possible that this argument could get some traction in the courts today where there has been some movement toward granting the President a greater scope of authority. For now, though, it is likely that any suspension of the writ would require congressional approval based on an invasion or rebellion. Kevin Wagner is a noted constitutional scholar, political science professor, and co-Director of the PolCom Lab at Florida Atlantic University. The answers provided do not necessarily represent the views of the university. If you have a question about how American government and politics work, email him at kwagne15@ or reach him on (X) @kevinwagnerphd. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump wants to deport. But what about due process? | Opinion
