THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is on a losing streak against some of its loudest critics, as federal cases targeting opponents of aggressive immigration enforcement fall apart in courts nationwide.
In the span of a week, prosecutors failed to bring convictions in two high-profile cases in Los Angeles federal court. In the first, a jury acquitted Bobby Nuñez, a tow-truck driver who hooked an ICE vehicle and was charged with stealing government property. In the second, a judge dismissed the case against Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a TikToker who was facing assault and property damage charges after a confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, due to concerns that officials had violated his civil rights. (In the October 21 confrontation, an ICE agent shot him.)
“These arrests are a form of retaliation by the government,” said Matthew Borden, an attorney representing protesters, journalists, and legal observers in a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stemming from protests in Southern California over the past year. “When you have a real judge and a real jury looking at the evidence, it just falls apart.”
Tough because they will surely be fired if they do this. What good does that do?
The whole system needs reform at minimum to prevent this happening again.
You’re almost certainly right, they will be fired if they disobey the would-be autocrat. That’s basically what happened in Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre” when he wanted to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Elliot Richadson refused and resigned immediately. So too did Deputy AG William Ruckelshaus. Then loyal fascism supporter Robert Bork did as instructed, and the story of the resignations became bigger than the firing of Cox, leading to the impeachment proceedings and a new special prosecutor.
I don’t really disagree with you, the system needs significant reform, and losing good career professionals is bad for everyone. But it’s worth it to fight like hell at every stage, it slows them down and sometimes the opposition shifts public sentiment.
I’m just wondering if you can do more on the inside now. Trump has fired people left and right and it didn’t really become a major news story. This level of authoritarianism has just become normal.