Margaret H. Zhang
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marzhang.bsky.social
Margaret H. Zhang
@marzhang.bsky.social
2.5K followers 1.3K following 830 posts
Law prof @ Widener University Delaware Law School. Reproductive justice, workplace justice, environmental justice. Philly. She/her.
Blog (legal news for new and aspiring lawyers): marzhang.wordpress.com
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marzhang.bsky.social
Margaret H. Zhang @marzhang.bsky.social · 15d
New blog post covering key U.S. legal developments from the last two weeks: marzhang.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/j...

This was ready to go this morning. And then had to be edited to include the new tragedy out of Minnesota 😭

Themes and summaries threaded below ⤵️
January 9-24, 2026
Key U.S. legal developments from the last two weeks (including, sadly, one from this morning): Immigration, immigration enforcement, and resistance The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s …
marzhang.wordpress.com
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
prisonpolicy.org
What's the difference between states like Florida, where ICE arrests are sky-high, and states like Illinois with much lower rates of arrests? It's all about police & jails.

Arrest rates out of homes, workplaces, etc are similar – but reining in sheriffs makes all the difference.
Graph showing that policies blocking ICE access to jails have kept immigration arrest rates lower in some states.
February 8, 2026 at 8:15 PM
marzhang.bsky.social
👎
unusualwhales.bsky.social Unusual Whales @unusualwhales.bsky.social · 1d
BREAKING: The Nebraska Legislature has approved a bill lowering Nebraska’s minimum wage from $15 an hour to $13.50 for young workers, and slowing down minimum wage increases for others.
February 7, 2026 at 3:45 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
AWFUL news tonight. This blesses the “mandatory” detention in the 5th Circuit without bond (and little chance at habeas) of every undocumented immigrant who originally entered across the border, no matter how many decades in the past.

It will fuel ICE’s push to transfer people to Texas immediately.
kyledcheney.bsky.social Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 1d
BREAKING: A 5th Circuit panel has backed ICE's mass detention policy, a decision that clears the way for the administration to lock up people who are in immigration proceedings

It's a 2-1 ruling
Majority: Jones (Reagan), Duncan (Trump)
Minority: Douglas (Obama)

s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
February 7, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
michaelgkagan.bsky.social
This is a big deal.
5th Circuit backs mass detention.
Another appeals court (7th cir) rejected it.
This will go to SCOTUS.
February 7, 2026 at 2:51 AM
marzhang.bsky.social
This is a great Q&A. Judges and practitioners need to become far more fluent in the expansive nature of "disability" as currently defined in the ADA. Very illuminating work and commentary from @nicolebporter.bsky.social
February 7, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
bcfinucane.bsky.social
The administration's lawless killing spree at sea continues with another maritime strike in the eastern Pacific.

Real killing in a make believe armed conflict against unidentified enemies.
On Feb. 5, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed. @SecWar @DeptofWar #OpSouthernSpear
February 6, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
masnick.com
One of the things that does come through in many of these emails is just how many men think that being a creepy, abusive, predator is just like how everyone is. Way to tell on yourself.
Gelernter continued teaching as usual Tuesday, after a small group of students gathered outside his classroom. In the Wednesday afternoon email to Jeffrey Brock '92 - the dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Science - on which computer science professor Holly Rushmeier was copied, Gelernter gave an account of his relationship with an unnamed alumna whom he had described in the 2011 email to Epstein as a "v small goodlooking blonde." Gelernter forwarded the email to the News 14 minutes after he initially sent it. "I was recommending her for a job I thought she'd like. When you do that--when you actually care about a rec letter--you keep the potential boss's habits in mind," Gelernter wrote in the email to his colleagues, seemingly referring to Epstein. "This one was obsessed with girls (like every other unmarried billionaire in Manhattan; in fact, like every other heterosex male), and if I hadn't said what I did in that letter ten-odd years ago, he would certainly have called me & asked for a lot more aesthetic detail. (This is how men behave.)" "So long as I said nothing that dishonored her in any conceivable way, I'd have told him more or less what he wanted. She was smart, charming & gorgeous. Ought I to have suppressed that info? Never!" he continued, italicizing the last word. "I'm very glad I wrote the note."
February 5, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
ifwhenhow.bsky.social
FACT: Health care workers can stop criminalization before it starts.

Abortion bans and mandatory reporting laws feed the surveillance of pregnant people.

It’s crucial that providers don’t police people seeking care.

Use our state fact sheets to stop state harm: tinyurl.com/CareProviderResources
February 5, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
NEW: The unfathomable Minnesota transcript that must be read, as it tells the reality of America today.

"I am not white, as you can see," Julie Le — a government lawyer — told a federal judge on Tuesday. "And my family's at risk as any other people that might get picked up too ..."

Law Dork:
The unfathomable Minnesota transcript that must be read, as it tells the reality of America today
"I am not white, as you can see," Julie Le — a government lawyer — told a federal judge on Tuesday. "And my family's at risk as any other people that might get picked up too ..."
www.lawdork.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:59 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
sorrykb.bsky.social
Shorter judge: It might not be your fault, but it’s your responsibility.
I wholeheartedly embrace the notion of a unitary executive, as in DHS, ICE, the DOJ, all a part of the Executive Branch. And if there's a problem in the restaurant, I don't intend to go in the kitchen to try to figure out who makes the bread. And all of it is part of the Executive Branch. And so it is not an excuse to tell me you contacted ICE because ICE is also part of the unitary executive for accountability purposes.
February 4, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
carriejohnson.bsky.social
The latest in my reporting on misconduct allegations and workplace issues involving federal courts -

www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
Newly released court records reveal misconduct inquiry into federal judge
A federal judge said he retired to speak out about threats to the rule of law. Newly released court orders suggest his exit coincided with a misconduct inquiry that ended when he stepped down.
www.npr.org
February 4, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
nothoodlum.bsky.social
Happy Anniversary to those who celebrate cat attorneys.
February 4, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
stevevladeck.bsky.social
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...
"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]. So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) “damn” countries is Haiti. Relevant here, three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. See 90 Fed. Reg. 54733 (Nov. 28, 2025) (Termination). Plaintiffs are five Haitian TPS holders. They are not, it emerges, “killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.” They are instead: Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot, a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer’s disease, Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl. (SAC)) ¶ 1; Rudolph Civil, a software engineer at a national bank, id. ¶ 2; Marlene Gail Noble, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, id. ¶ 3; Marica Merline Laguerre, a college economics major, id. ¶ 4; and Vilbrun Dorsainvil, a full-time registered nurse, id. ¶ 5. They claim that Secretary Noem’s decision violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Government counters that the Court does not have jurisdiction, and, in any case, the Secretary did not violate the law. Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary’s decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. It then considers: whether Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; whether they will be irreparably harmed absent a stay; and whether a merged balance of the equities and public interest analysis favors a stay. See Part III. Each element favors Plaintiffs. See Parts IV, V, and VI. Plaintiffs charge that Secretary Noem preordained her termination decision and did so because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants. This seems substantially likely. Secretary Noem 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] Dkt. 100 (§ 705 Reply) at 20–21.4 “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason” does not exactly scream, as Secretary Noem concluded, suitable for return. And so, the Government studiously does not argue that Plaintiffs will suffer no harm if removed to Haiti. Instead, it argues Plaintiffs will not certainly suffer irreparable harm because DHS might not remove them. But this fails to take Secretary Noem at her word: “WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.” See Section IV.B.2.b. Finally, the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay. The Government does not cite any reason termination must occur post haste. Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959 lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our healthcare system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things—in the public interest is not one of them. For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion for a Stay Under 5 U.S.C. § 705, Dkt. 81.
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
marzhang.bsky.social
#FreeThemAll
samtlevin.bsky.social Sam Levin @samtlevin.bsky.social · 7d
Liam, 5, has been freed, but four other students from his school district remain detained in Texas. Two boys from his elementary school were taken Thurs

“This isn’t something we are prepared or trained for. We’ve dedicated our lives to protecting + educating children,” school superintendent told me
ICE detains two more students from Liam Ramos’s school, officials say
The brothers’ mother was taken by ICE and Minnesota educators were forced to bring the children to her
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
gregsargent.bsky.social
Good to see that many Dem elected officials now want to be seen getting involved in the cases of immigrants who have been wrongly detained by ICE.

Let's spare a word for @vanhollen.senate.gov, who did this for Kilmar Abrego Garcia back when wise pundits said this was politically dangerous.
February 1, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
angryblacklady.blacksky.app
Anne Frank died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen
robertscotthorton.bsky.social Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 7d
ICE now confirming that there is a measles outbreak at the Texas concentration camp where young Liam was held.
February 2, 2026 at 12:52 AM
marzhang.bsky.social
#FreeThemAll
February 1, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
nonfinality.com
Legal resistance is not futile

“Jessie Calmes, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta, said that she had filed at least 40 petitions since November. Every one had been granted…

“…That influx has led the Justice Department to pull some criminal prosecutors off regular duties…”

Good work, all who do this
Federal Courts Undercut Trump’s Mass Deportation Campaign
www.nytimes.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
walkerbragman.bsky.social
Children. They are literally tear gassing children.
February 1, 2026 at 2:39 AM
marzhang.bsky.social
#OpenBordersNow
courtneymilan.com Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 8d
The people who are saying shit like "well it's either this or the borders are totally open" are doing their best to convince America that we should have completely open borders.
February 1, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
courtneymilan.com
The people who are saying shit like "well it's either this or the borders are totally open" are doing their best to convince America that we should have completely open borders.
February 1, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
ldodd.bsky.social
Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"

John 11:15 "Jesus wept."
emayfarris.bsky.social Emily Farris @emayfarris.bsky.social · 8d
That is a sign off and signature, wow.
January 31, 2026 at 8:56 PM
marzhang.bsky.social
Read it. It's 2.5 pages double-spaced. But each line contains multitudes. As does - of course - the picture at the end, which is worth a thousand words and more. 🥺
February 1, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
jcschwartzprof.bsky.social
Extraordinary opinion for extraordinary times.
January 31, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Margaret H. Zhang
apipennsylvania.bsky.social
The problem isn’t rhetoric. The problem is state violence against immigrants. Governor Shapiro should focus on stopping ICE’s harm, demanding accountability, and protecting our families - not scrambling to defend an agency that is terrorizing our communities.
Headline: Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro condemns inflammatory ICE rhetoric from DA Larry Krasner as 'abhorent'. Photo of Josh Shapiro talking on Fox News.
January 31, 2026 at 8:53 PM