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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Will Go To Supreme Court If Newsom Wins Fight Over LA Troops Deployment Again; Appeals Court Considers Temporary Restraining Order
Donald Trump is going to take California's troops and his ball to the Supreme Court if he doesn't get another win over Gavin Newsom. In an appeals court hearing Tuesday before a three-judge panel, a Department of Justice lawyer bluntly said that they intend to go straight to SCOTUS if their POTUS client once again loses control to Gov. Newsom of being able to put the Guard troops on the streets of Los Angeles. Thousands of heavily armed Guard troops, as well as 700 U.S. Marines have been deployed in the city's downtown core for over a week in response to protests over ongoing ICE raids and abductions of the undocumented (and in some cases, the documented). More from Deadline Trump Celebrity Supporters: Famous Folks In Favor Of The 47th President Trump Regains Control Of Troops In L.A. From Newsom Thanks To Appeals Court; Governor Was To Take Command Of National Guard On Friday – Updated Eric Kripke Has No Intention Of "Pulling Our Punches" With 'The Boys' Under Trump: "That's Vital" 'Your Honors, we would ask that you grant our motion for a stay pending appeal,' said the administration's attorney to Judges Mark Bennett, Eric Miller and Jennifer Sung right at the end of the hearing. 'If you deny our stay pending appeal, we would ask the court to give us an opportunity to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court,' he added of the frequently used Trump legal tactic to the conservative majority High Court. Already apparently rendered somewhat moot if it doesn't go Trump's way, a ruling on the legality and constitutionality of the matter by Trump appointees Bennett and Miller and Joe Biden appointed Sung is expected in the next few days – – though its outcome may be muted by another lower court hearing set for Friday. Brought in on June 7 after protests in L.A. over a squall of harsh ICE raids on undocumented immigrants, Trump took over the Golden State National Guard first without seemingly properly informing Newsom. In fact, in a rare display of authority in the USA, the federalization of the thousands of troops occurred over the objection of the Governor. The deployment of an initial 2,000 troops under an obscure statute, with online assurances from the Secretary of Defense that Marines could later be sent to L.A. too, on June 8 saw a rise, not a decline in protests and violence in the streets around federal buildings where ICE-detained immigrants were being held. 'Are we in a world that's so different from normal conditions as to justify an extreme measure like militarizing the situation and bringing in the National Guard?' Samuel Harcourt, a lawyer for the California Attorney General's office questioned the appeals court trio today, noting that if things were as bad in L.A. as the Trump administration claimed they could have invoked the Insurrection Act. 'We don't think the federal government has even made the first step of meeting that standard,' Harcourt said. As City of Angels officials spoke out against Trump's move and its reasoning that L.A. was in a state of rebellion, the LAPD stepped in to clear protesters off the streets. As has far too often been the case in the past, the cops were sometimes much more stridently, with rubber bullets fired at journalists and others onsite, enforcing their role than many believed was necessary – especially in a Sanctuary City, a status much mocked by the administration. RELATED: Quickly taking legal action, the state of California sued the Trump administration on June 9 to halt Trump's near unprecedented seizing of the Guard. Two days later, as tensions rose even more in DTLA and the rhetoric got more heated from the politicians, Newsom filed for an almost immediate temporary restraining order. He was denied a solution that day, but a hearing in front of Bay Area-based federal Judge Charles Breyer was set for June 12. Mere hours after that afternoon hearing concluded, Judge Breyer made public his order that Trump 'return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith.' – a.k.a. by noon on June 13. Planning such a result, the DOJ were ready to file an appeal, which they did with haste. As Gov. Newsom took a media victory lap on June 12, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals flipped the script and gave Trump back control of the Guard pending today's hearing. In the fog of this war of law and order vs. democratic norms between Trump and Newsom, the governor on June 16 filed a motion for preliminary injunction on the troop deployment, with a hearing before Judge Breyer on June 20 – as Judge Bennett brought up at the conclusion of Tuesday's one-hour session. 'The tradition of civilian, rather than military, law enforcement is a core Founding principle, and Defendants' defiance of that tradition violates the Posse Comitatus Act and the Tenth Amendment,' the filing from the state in federal court Monday notes of the stakes (read it here). 'The Court should enjoin Defendants from ordering any federal troops to patrol the streets, to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ('ICE') in the field, or to engage in other law enforcement activities in Los Angeles.' Literally playing to the crowd, the 39-page document adds: 'Enjoining the continued militarization of Los Angeles would restore the public's confidence in their fundamental First Amendment right to peacefully protest, without fearing that the government will deploy the military in response.' For all their tough talk, DOJ lawyers today emphasized that the masked ICE agents in L.A. have proven overwhelmed again and again by Angelenos trying to protect their fellow citizens from what many have deemed as 'kidnappings.' Even as DTLA military and police presence seemed to wane, the cowering of the ICE agents and the besieging of the federal facilities was used Tuesday as part of the justification of the Guard remaining under Trump's command. Following Trump's sparsely attended $40 million military parade in DC on June 14, which was also his 79th birthday, and the massive No Kings demonstrations across the nation the same day, the fight over who controls the National Guard troops in L.A. is increasingly becoming old news. Still, the cruel ICE raids continue and have even intensified in L.A. and other Blue cities. At the same time, one day after moving back the start time of the 10-day old curfew in DTLA to 10 p.m. as violence and looting in the area declines, Mayor Karen Bass today lifted the measure altogether. 'I am lifting the curfew effective today, and as we continue quickly adapting to chaos coming from Washington, and I will be prepared to reissue a curfew if needed,' the Mayor stated as the City Council voted her special powers to declare an emergency situation in downtown if required. 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The National
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil to be released on bail, judge rules
Palestine activist and Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil must be released on bail, a US judge ruled on Friday. The major court decision comes after back-and-forth legal challenges over the past few months. '[The] petitioner is not a flight risk,' Judge Michael Farbiarz told litigators, according to Courthouse News. 'He's also not a danger to the community.' The same judge ruled last week that the White House could not use US foreign policy interests to justify its detention of Mr Khalil. But President Donald Trump's administration said it had no plans to release him. 'The court did not order respondents to release petitioner Mahmoud Khalil,' US Department of Justice lawyers wrote in a last-minute appeal, implying they could detain Mr Khalil on other grounds. 'An alien like Khalil may be detained during the pendency of removal proceedings regardless of the charge of removability.' The government explained that Mr Khalil had to convince the Department of Homeland Security to release him, and that he had failed to do so. The DOJ also asked that if Mr Farbiarz insisted on releasing Mr Khalil, they could pursue other legal options to keep him detained. The judge acquiesced. 'The respondents have now represented that the petitioner is being detained on another, second charge,' he wrote, adding that Mr Khalil retains the option of requesting bail through an application to an immigration judge presiding over his case. On Wednesday, Judge Farbiarz said Mr Khalil's legal team had shown that his continued detention was causing irreparable harm to his career, his family and his right to free speech. Mr Khalil, a legal US resident who played a prominent role in pro-Palestine campus protests last year, has been held in Louisiana since his March arrest. The State Department revoked his green card under a little-used provision of immigration law granting the Secretary of State the power to seek the deportation of any non-citizen whose presence in the country is considered adverse to US foreign policy interests. The White House has accused Mr Khalil of spreading Hamas propaganda during the protests. A judge in Louisiana previously ruled that the US government could proceed with efforts to deport him. He was denied leave in late April to attend the birth of his first child. His arrest was part of a Trump administration crackdown on so-called anti-Semitism on university campuses. The administration has deemed pro-Palestine protests to fall under this umbrella.
Fox News
12 hours ago
- Fox News
Federal agents thwart man's explosive alleged plot against officers during LA riots
A man is in custody after federal authorities foiled an alleged plan to use large-scale fireworks and other explosive devices against police and government officials at riots protesting deportation efforts in California. Grzegorz Vandenberg, 48, is facing federal charges for allegedly buying fireworks with the intent to harm law enforcement officers and government officials at the Los Angeles protests, the Department of Justice said in a press release. Vandenberg allegedly visited a travel center in New Mexico, where he "requested assistance in selecting fireworks that could be thrown directly at people to cause harm," according to prosecutors. While at the store, federal authorities allege, he told employees he previously served in the military's special forces and claimed he could make pipe bombs before revealing he was planning to travel to Los Angeles to kill law enforcement officers and government officials in the anti-ICE riots. "This man allegedly intended to use the chaotic riots in Los Angeles as an opportunity to commit deadly violence against law enforcement officers," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. "Threats like these strike at the heart of law and order. We will not hesitate to bring federal charges against anyone who seeks to harm law enforcement or endanger the safety of our communities." Staff members at the store told authorities Vandenberg requested to buy the "largest explosives available" and invited an employee to join him at the riots, the DOJ said. He also allegedly claimed to be in possession of mortar explosives and further revealed his plan to use them on officers at the riots. Vandenberg ultimately "purchased six mortars," each containing 60 grams of gunpowder, and 36 large fireworks, according to federal prosecutors. "Our message is clear: If you come after law enforcement officers, the FBI will spare no effort to find you and bring you to justice," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "This defendant allegedly intended to use explosives to attack police officers currently conducting law enforcement operations in Los Angeles and – with the help of a store cashier who took down his license plate information – we were able to put a stop to that plan." The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Vandenberg was charged with transporting explosives in interstate commerce with the knowledge and intent that they would be used to kill, injure or intimidate individuals, according to the DOJ. He is in custody as he awaits trial and faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted. Fox News Digital was unable to immediately identify an attorney for Vandenberg. "Targeting law enforcement with violence is not protest – it's a crime," U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico said. "Anyone who attempts to harm officers or undermine public safety will be held accountable."
National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Missing N.S. kids: Reward of up to $150,000 being offered to anyone with information
Article content A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered by the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to anyone with information about the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan. Article content It has been 'felt across the province and beyond, and my heart goes out to the family, the community and everyone who has been working to find these children since day one,' said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Becky Druhan in a news release on Thursday. Article content Article content The reward is payable in Canadian funds and will be apportioned as deemed just by Druhan as the minister of justice. Law enforcement and correctional agency employees are not eligible for the reward. Article content Article content On the morning of May 2, Lilly and Jack disappeared from their Lansdowne Station home in rural Nova Scotia. There have been extensive ongoing searches in the area, especially in the thick woods near the property where they lived. As of mid-June, police said they had received 488 tips in the case. According to authorities, the siblings were last seen with family in public on May 1. Article content In an interview published on Wednesday, the children's paternal grandmother opened up about what happened. Article content Belynda Gray, who spoke to CBC News, said she hasn't seen six-year-old Lilly or four-year-old Jack in almost two years. Article content Gray's son, Cody Sullivan, is the biological father of the two children. He was in a relationship with the children's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, for about three years, Gray said. When Brooks-Murray decided to end the relationship, she petitioned the court for sole custody, Gray told CBC. Article content Article content 'When she did that, he said that he was done. He just didn't want no part of it,' said Gray, who also said that Brooks-Murray told her they were 'having problems and she wasn't happy.' Article content Article content The relationship between Gray and Brooks-Murray, however, remained intact. Gray said that Brooks-Murray would bring the children to visit whenever Gray asked. But those visits faded when Brooks-Murray moved in with her new boyfriend, the children's stepfather, Daniel Martell. Martell and Brooks-Murray also have an infant daughter together. Article content 'I was in a state of panic, shock, but in the back of my mind I kept saying, 'Well, they'll find them,'' said Gray. Article content She joined the search in Pictou County. She said she called out for the children, even using her nickname for Jack, 'Jackie boy.' However, after several days, police announced they were scaling back the search and would focus on specific areas.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Immigration arrest turns violent in Bloomington, suspect now facing federal charges
Federal prosecutors say an escape attempt during an ICE arrest in the Twin Cities is leading to even more charges. According to a federal complaint charging him with assault on a federal officer, agents were executing a federal immigration warrant for 39-year-old Roberto Carlos Munoz, who they say is in the country unlawfully. Munoz was convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2023. The Department of Justice says a request for Munoz to be held after his 2022 arrest was "not honored by local authorities and Munoz was released." Agents located Munoz on Tuesday morning, leaving his home. According to the complaint, that's when an FBI agent activated his emergency lights, but Munoz did not immediately pull over. Surveillance video from a nearby home shows agents boxing in Munoz and approaching the vehicle. Court documents say he refused to comply before a federal agent "took out his spring-loaded window punch with his right hand and broke the driver's side rear window." Moments later, Munoz turned the wheel to the right to avoid the vehicle in front of him, drove up on the curb and accelerated away at a high rate of speed. The officer's right arm was caught in the vehicle. As Munoz fled, the officer was dragged along for 300 feet. Officials say the agent suffered significant cuts that resulted in more than 30 stitches. Bloomington police took Munoz into custody. Now, a top homeland security official is criticizing Gov. Tim Walz Posting on X, "Instead of comparing ICE law enforcement to the Gestapo, Walz should be thanking our brave law enforcement." In a statement earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office explained they are not involved in civil immigration enforcement. Over in Bloomington, police chief Booker Hodges was unavailable for an interview, but we're told he's recorded a video where he will speak about local and federal law enforcement.
