J. Cardella
@cardellaj.bsky.social
I have a background in immigration & sociology and in my spare time I focus on the legal and social dimensions of citizenship. Posting in a personal capacity.
Pinned
J. Cardella
@cardellaj.bsky.social
· Nov 27
From Immigrant to Immunity: A Trumpian Theory of Citizenship
A dizzying split-screen unfolded on April 25th when Donald Trump’s attorney argued before the Supreme Court that he had “absolute immunity” to break the law as president, while Trump himself sat in a ...
citizenshipbrief.substack.com
The cornerstone of American citizenship is equality before the law. Trump's vision of citizenship is hierarchical. From immigrant to immunity, this is my attempt at unpacking the law and sociology of Trump's project. citizenshipbrief.substack.com/p/from-immig...
Every “DOGE was a failure” article is far too credulous. It was never about efficiency. It was a smash and grab. Elon Musk ran off with every SF-86 in existence and god knows what else. He’s probably fed it all into some private AI system, or using it outright for competitive advantage.
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Every “DOGE was a failure” article is far too credulous. It was never about efficiency. It was a smash and grab. Elon Musk ran off with every SF-86 in existence and god knows what else. He’s probably fed it all into some private AI system, or using it outright for competitive advantage.
Reposted by J. Cardella
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by J. Cardella
In a weird way, SCOTUS's apparent unwillingness to allow district court *legal* rulings to stand in Trump cases might be pushing those courts to let fly with adverse *credibility* findings that they otherwise might have withheld as a courtesy.
November 21, 2025 at 12:46 AM
In a weird way, SCOTUS's apparent unwillingness to allow district court *legal* rulings to stand in Trump cases might be pushing those courts to let fly with adverse *credibility* findings that they otherwise might have withheld as a courtesy.
There’s a decent chance he ends up at the University of Austin.
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Summers Will Not Finish Semester of Teaching as Harvard Investigates Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson
Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein.
www.thecrimson.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:40 AM
There’s a decent chance he ends up at the University of Austin.
What an entitled mindset. Summers should absolutely give up teaching too. He abused his faculty position to sexually harass.
Larry Summers tells @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”
He will continue teaching.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”
He will continue teaching.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
November 18, 2025 at 12:39 PM
What an entitled mindset. Summers should absolutely give up teaching too. He abused his faculty position to sexually harass.
I'm curious if other outlets will confirm this, but if true it's monstrous.
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:06 AM
I'm curious if other outlets will confirm this, but if true it's monstrous.
Reposted by J. Cardella
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
As a born and raised southsider, Leo’s papacy continues to be one of the most surreal things I’ve lived through.
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck?
It's the Pope in 1982.
It's the Pope in 1982.
November 13, 2025 at 4:21 AM
As a born and raised southsider, Leo’s papacy continues to be one of the most surreal things I’ve lived through.
Another reminder that immigration enforcement isn’t just targeting the city of Chicago. They’re hitting deep into the suburbs, sometimes even worse than the city itself. Here’s today’s activity so far.
November 12, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Another reminder that immigration enforcement isn’t just targeting the city of Chicago. They’re hitting deep into the suburbs, sometimes even worse than the city itself. Here’s today’s activity so far.
Reposted by J. Cardella
I’m on team Kardashian. She’s savvier than she gets credit for and she seems to be putting in the work (the CA bar is very hard). And she seems to want to do it for the right reasons. Other super rich people have lost their minds (Elon). It’s refreshing to see a rich person chase a normal dream.
I loved this piece from @abovethelaw.com on Kardashian failing the bar because it makes the two essential points:
A: it’s fucking hubris for her to try this without going to law school.
B: She doesn’t NEED to pass the stupid thing to do her good works
A: it’s fucking hubris for her to try this without going to law school.
B: She doesn’t NEED to pass the stupid thing to do her good works
Kim Kardashian Failed Bar After Psychics PROMISED She'd Pass - Above the Law
Too bad she can't sue them herself.
abovethelaw.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:35 AM
I’m on team Kardashian. She’s savvier than she gets credit for and she seems to be putting in the work (the CA bar is very hard). And she seems to want to do it for the right reasons. Other super rich people have lost their minds (Elon). It’s refreshing to see a rich person chase a normal dream.
Reposted by J. Cardella
NEWS! The ABA Admin Law Conference is FREE this year, in light of the shutdown. Great for admin law practitioners, academics, and students. It'll be Nov. 21 but you'll also be able to access recordings for 30 days afterwards.
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
2025 Administrative Law Fall Conference
events.americanbar.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
NEWS! The ABA Admin Law Conference is FREE this year, in light of the shutdown. Great for admin law practitioners, academics, and students. It'll be Nov. 21 but you'll also be able to access recordings for 30 days afterwards.
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
Reposted by J. Cardella
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by J. Cardella
The President pardoned members of his private militia after they failed to overturn an election; they, in turn, pledge their support to him and urge him to use them to police civil society.
New:
On The Gateway Pundit's podcast yesterday, Stewart Rhodes announced he's relaunching the Oath Keepers
He also urged Trump to “call us up as a militia" & "order us all to come together in our counties under his command."
www.mediamatters.org/oath-keepers...
On The Gateway Pundit's podcast yesterday, Stewart Rhodes announced he's relaunching the Oath Keepers
He also urged Trump to “call us up as a militia" & "order us all to come together in our counties under his command."
www.mediamatters.org/oath-keepers...
![STEWART RHODES (FOUNDER, OATH KEEPERS): And one other thing I want to say is that President Trump, as commander in chief, always has absolute authority to call all of us up as the militia because every one of us — in federal statues defining the militia, it's every able-bodied male from age 17-45. And for us veterans, it goes up to age 64 because of our prior training and experience.
Right now, under federal statutes, President Trump can call us up as the militia if he sees it necessary, especially for three purposes: to repel invasions, to suppress insurrections, and to execute the laws of the union. And right now, we see all three of those in play.
...
And the militia is all of us. So the National Guard is part of the militia, which is why it's completely lawful for him to use the National Guard as he has, and he should do more of that, I think, across the country.
...
He could just say given the circumstances of an invasion, insurrection, and resistance against federal law being being enforced, I'm calling up the militia, ordering all the men to come together [in] every county, put the veterans in charge of training and organizing all the other men and just have them stand too and await his orders. He can do that and I think he should do that. And so that's what I'll be advocating for from him. So from the bottom, from down the rank and file, we can let President Trump know that we're ready to serve, encourage him to do that, call us up as a militia, order us all to come together in our counties under his command, which gives you complete legal sanction to do what you're doing.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:af7tqcetuyt352aolf3znlxe/bafkreialm4skuozqobejpd6vx4m6kuwsgtidxmmxvj3ftcff6otiuyohiy@jpeg)
November 10, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The President pardoned members of his private militia after they failed to overturn an election; they, in turn, pledge their support to him and urge him to use them to police civil society.
Reposted by J. Cardella
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
Reposted by J. Cardella
I have been actively watching contracts and surge funding over the last few days and what I would say to my friends in Baltimore is “be absolutely ready, right now.”
ICE poised to ramp up raids in Baltimore by Thanksgiving
The Trump administration has rush-ordered infrastructure to conduct raids, abduct residents, and detain people for months.
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
I have been actively watching contracts and surge funding over the last few days and what I would say to my friends in Baltimore is “be absolutely ready, right now.”
Reposted by J. Cardella
More Bovino-led horror in Little Village today. Matt is a reliable leader in the community.
www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-d...
www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-d...
November 9, 2025 at 2:04 AM
More Bovino-led horror in Little Village today. Matt is a reliable leader in the community.
www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-d...
www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-d...
One of the chants yesterday directed at DHS and the ISP was “save your soul and quit your job”.
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:01 PM
One of the chants yesterday directed at DHS and the ISP was “save your soul and quit your job”.
Apparently for the NYTimes, there are limits to the maxim that “we all have to live together” but they are about women’s equality, not the rise of fascist ideology.
November 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Apparently for the NYTimes, there are limits to the maxim that “we all have to live together” but they are about women’s equality, not the rise of fascist ideology.
What people outside Chicago may not understand is that ICE isn’t just targeting the city. They’re pummeling the surrounding suburbs, sometimes even harder than the city itself (graphic below is from today). This isn’t Trump v. Chicago as a political unit. It’s a broad campaign of ethnic cleansing.
November 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
What people outside Chicago may not understand is that ICE isn’t just targeting the city. They’re pummeling the surrounding suburbs, sometimes even harder than the city itself (graphic below is from today). This isn’t Trump v. Chicago as a political unit. It’s a broad campaign of ethnic cleansing.
Reposted by J. Cardella
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 1:33 AM
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
Reposted by J. Cardella
Tyler and I are out here at the rally where the crowd has about doubled since this first post. Easily 400+ people.
Group is chanting “no hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
Group is chanting “no hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
Here at Northcenter Town Square where 100-200 community members including families and young children are rallying after a teacher was taken by federal law enforcement from a local daycare this morning.
November 6, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Tyler and I are out here at the rally where the crowd has about doubled since this first post. Easily 400+ people.
Group is chanting “no hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
Group is chanting “no hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
In Chicago this morning (2550 W. Addison) ICE chased an infant teacher into a daycare and physically dragged her out.
wgntv.com/news/chicago...
wgntv.com/news/chicago...
November 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
In Chicago this morning (2550 W. Addison) ICE chased an infant teacher into a daycare and physically dragged her out.
wgntv.com/news/chicago...
wgntv.com/news/chicago...
Reposted by J. Cardella
The Cuomintang is regrouping off the mainland
November 5, 2025 at 2:10 AM
The Cuomintang is regrouping off the mainland