Paul Slimin'
@legendsofthepaul.bsky.social
Law, politics, media, philosophy, hot takes, etc. | he/him | All lies and jest
Pinned
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
!["On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: “America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions.”1
More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President Washington’s vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take. [screenshot of tweet].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nwnlnixtjh3qhkwpz2uy5uwv/bafkreicrroq5taft777rmau2ffjlsphbcatlxnwwigf2yekoke533yycim@jpeg)
![has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk—twelve countries up,
twelve countries down. See Section IV.A.2. Her conclusion that Haiti (a majority nonwhite
country) faces merely “concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm of
suffering” and “staggering” “humanitarian toll” described in page-after-page of the Certified
Administrative Record (CAR). See Section IV.A.3.a. She ignored Congress’s requirement that
she “review the conditions” in Haiti only “after” consulting “with appropriate agencies.” 8
U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(3)(A); see Section IV.A.1. Indeed, she did not consult other agencies at all.
See id. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here
illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here, and legally so. See Section
IV.A.3.b. And though she states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” she
ignores altogether the billions Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy. See id.
The Government’s primary response is that the TPS statute gives the Secretary
unbounded discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. And, yes,
the statute does grant her some discretion. But not unbounded discretion. To the contrary,
Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system—to
replace executive whim with statutory predictability. See Section I.A.
As to irreparable harm, the Government contends that, at most, the harms to Haitian TPS
holders are speculative. But the Department of State (State) warns [screenshot]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nwnlnixtjh3qhkwpz2uy5uwv/bafkreid3cmawech25ummuj2tjvgxsrvufma2kmrijlfpglalwddd3qkikq@jpeg)
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
It's a tour de force:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
A true believer libertarian…they *do* exist!
February 2, 2026 at 12:24 AM
A true believer libertarian…they *do* exist!
Did the New Atheists condemn their political fellow travelers for pursuing the same goals but with religious motivation?
January 31, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Did the New Atheists condemn their political fellow travelers for pursuing the same goals but with religious motivation?
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
To "Yes, And" this, its p clear that Rs get to treat news media significantly more like shit than Ds do & they happily take it. A big part of what drives this is that Rs have their own media ecosystem that both pressues legacy news media & is a feeder for it. Ds need to build a parallel landscape.
yeah again, the media was very unfair to biden. sucks. now we've got trump. guess we should figure out how to manage them better in the future!
I think one of the lessons of the Biden era is that, while the media (and especially those at the top of it) are often contemptible, it's a beast you must carefully manage rather than try and shut out
January 30, 2026 at 4:57 PM
To "Yes, And" this, its p clear that Rs get to treat news media significantly more like shit than Ds do & they happily take it. A big part of what drives this is that Rs have their own media ecosystem that both pressues legacy news media & is a feeder for it. Ds need to build a parallel landscape.
Sadly, I am one of the unaware. Where do you recommend getting updates on the Senate like this?
January 30, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Sadly, I am one of the unaware. Where do you recommend getting updates on the Senate like this?
I think that what’s going on re: funding discourse is that the people who recognize Democratic politicians are bad at messaging don’t trust them on legislative strategy, and the people who see the logic/soundness of Democratic legislative strategy then aren’t as bothered by the bad messaging.
January 30, 2026 at 12:14 AM
I think that what’s going on re: funding discourse is that the people who recognize Democratic politicians are bad at messaging don’t trust them on legislative strategy, and the people who see the logic/soundness of Democratic legislative strategy then aren’t as bothered by the bad messaging.
Meanwhile, where have decades of economic cooperation with China led? Now the second-largest economy of the world, they have declared an unlimited partnership with Russia and provide instrumental support to Putin’s war. So much for a “stable, democratic, and prosperous” world.
January 28, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Meanwhile, where have decades of economic cooperation with China led? Now the second-largest economy of the world, they have declared an unlimited partnership with Russia and provide instrumental support to Putin’s war. So much for a “stable, democratic, and prosperous” world.
Once you get this far, though, the logic of further sanctions unfolds naturally. If we don’t want to fund an imperialist conquest, why fund the regime in Iran that makes the drones Russia uses to terrorize Ukraine?
January 28, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Once you get this far, though, the logic of further sanctions unfolds naturally. If we don’t want to fund an imperialist conquest, why fund the regime in Iran that makes the drones Russia uses to terrorize Ukraine?
The telling detail is leaving out any mention of Russia, presumably because the author knows readers will not accept funding a brutal and aggressive war.
January 28, 2026 at 12:44 PM
The telling detail is leaving out any mention of Russia, presumably because the author knows readers will not accept funding a brutal and aggressive war.
Unimpressed by this essay arguing against sanctions. Smaller issues aside, it needs to engage more with the demonstrated failure of economic rapprochement in order to make an effective point on this.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Sanctions are the quieter sibling of warfare – with civilians as collateral damage | Kenneth Mohammed
In the Caribbean and Latin America, the lived reality of these measures – presented in the language of diplomacy – is stark
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Unimpressed by this essay arguing against sanctions. Smaller issues aside, it needs to engage more with the demonstrated failure of economic rapprochement in order to make an effective point on this.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
I think even this is too charitable. Piker and fellow travelers have been making this claim long before October 7.
January 26, 2026 at 2:02 PM
I think even this is too charitable. Piker and fellow travelers have been making this claim long before October 7.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
This is one of those things that in another administration couldve been a months long scandal if the media wanted it to be. call it AgentGate. What did Bondi know and when did she know it? Weeks of opinion pieces etc etc.
Breaking NYT:
The FBI agent who sought to investigate the federal immigration officer who fatally shot Renee Good has resigned from the bureau, according to two people familiar with the matter, after leadership pressured her to discontinue a civil rights inquiry into the officer.
The FBI agent who sought to investigate the federal immigration officer who fatally shot Renee Good has resigned from the bureau, according to two people familiar with the matter, after leadership pressured her to discontinue a civil rights inquiry into the officer.
F.B.I. Agent Who Tried to Investigate ICE Officer in Shooting Resigns
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:39 AM
This is one of those things that in another administration couldve been a months long scandal if the media wanted it to be. call it AgentGate. What did Bondi know and when did she know it? Weeks of opinion pieces etc etc.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
The share of Americans who disapprove of ICE tactics in polls: 60+ percent
New York Times: “it’s really too complicated to say whether Americans approve of ICE killing Renee Good or not”
New York Times: “it’s really too complicated to say whether Americans approve of ICE killing Renee Good or not”
January 24, 2026 at 12:22 PM
The share of Americans who disapprove of ICE tactics in polls: 60+ percent
New York Times: “it’s really too complicated to say whether Americans approve of ICE killing Renee Good or not”
New York Times: “it’s really too complicated to say whether Americans approve of ICE killing Renee Good or not”
Violating The Original Series? Well we certainly wouldn’t want that.
January 24, 2026 at 3:33 AM
Violating The Original Series? Well we certainly wouldn’t want that.
It will forever be bizarre to me that informed observers like Tapper actually for a time hedged their bets about whether people would welcome an authoritarian takeover in the US.
January 24, 2026 at 1:21 AM
It will forever be bizarre to me that informed observers like Tapper actually for a time hedged their bets about whether people would welcome an authoritarian takeover in the US.
Just echoing others, do you have some more specifics about how they were too cautious (or have a good source to link to on it)?
January 22, 2026 at 1:54 AM
Just echoing others, do you have some more specifics about how they were too cautious (or have a good source to link to on it)?
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
He was later asked by a reporter why he said the military is "off the table" for Greenland and replied "we'll see what happens" before adding "The military is not on the table" because he doesn't "think it will be necessary."
January 21, 2026 at 4:47 PM
He was later asked by a reporter why he said the military is "off the table" for Greenland and replied "we'll see what happens" before adding "The military is not on the table" because he doesn't "think it will be necessary."
Fuck it, we’ll do it live
January 21, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Fuck it, we’ll do it live
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
fwiw this is the kind of stuff that is going to get us through, not playing rambo
Minneapolis and Saint Paul have basically mobilized into a war economy of mutual aid and non-violent defense. I’ve never seen anything like it, even during Covid. People who barely vote are guarding their schools from ICE and doing the shopping for neighbors in hiding.
This is so smart. I’m so impressed with all the different ways you’re helping your neighbors.
January 20, 2026 at 1:34 AM
fwiw this is the kind of stuff that is going to get us through, not playing rambo
I’m sorry, I think I’ve lost the thread on what we’re disagreeing about.
January 19, 2026 at 10:25 PM
I’m sorry, I think I’ve lost the thread on what we’re disagreeing about.
If you’re going to do this type of thing, you look like you’ve lost the plot if you leave out a criticism of what the administration is doing, in addition to refocusing on what they aren’t.
January 19, 2026 at 10:10 PM
If you’re going to do this type of thing, you look like you’ve lost the plot if you leave out a criticism of what the administration is doing, in addition to refocusing on what they aren’t.
She called ICE secret police. Bernie’s message there neglected to actually condemn the imperialism.
January 19, 2026 at 10:10 PM
She called ICE secret police. Bernie’s message there neglected to actually condemn the imperialism.
Oh wait, I forgot his penchant for praising Trump’s immigration policy, can’t leave that out.
January 19, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Oh wait, I forgot his penchant for praising Trump’s immigration policy, can’t leave that out.