John Halloran
@profhalloran.bsky.social
By day: Professoring; social work/social policy/complex systems; PhD/JD.
By night: Food/drinks; burritos; vapid entertainment; sport.
24/7: Epistemic humility; personal account.
By night: Food/drinks; burritos; vapid entertainment; sport.
24/7: Epistemic humility; personal account.
Reposted by John Halloran
this is exactly right. "popularism" in practice amounts to an abdication of political leadership!
This part of our response essay is where I'm at. Boiling down all of politics to electoralism has been absolutely terrible for resisting rising authoritarianism.
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
February 4, 2026 at 2:25 AM
this is exactly right. "popularism" in practice amounts to an abdication of political leadership!
Reposted by John Halloran
#OtD 3 Feb 1909 Simone Weil, French philosopher, mystic, and activist, was born. She fought against the fascists in the Spanish civil war and again in the French resistance. She died in the UK in 1943, after refusing to eat more than French rations stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1017...
February 3, 2026 at 10:25 PM
#OtD 3 Feb 1909 Simone Weil, French philosopher, mystic, and activist, was born. She fought against the fascists in the Spanish civil war and again in the French resistance. She died in the UK in 1943, after refusing to eat more than French rations stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1017...
Again, this is morality play-level hammering you relentlessly over the head with a metaphor.
Trump to Kaitlan Collins after she pressed him on getting justice for Epstein survivors:
"No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she‘s a young woman. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen you smile. I‘ve known you for 10 years. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen a smile in your face."
"No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she‘s a young woman. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen you smile. I‘ve known you for 10 years. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen a smile in your face."
February 3, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Again, this is morality play-level hammering you relentlessly over the head with a metaphor.
Reposted by John Halloran
fraggle rock implies the existence of fraggle jazz and fraggle rap
February 3, 2026 at 5:55 PM
fraggle rock implies the existence of fraggle jazz and fraggle rap
So, um, the state of play in Congress is … interesting.
February 3, 2026 at 4:58 PM
So, um, the state of play in Congress is … interesting.
Reposted by John Halloran
Just No.
1) Immigration judges aren't "judges." They are part of the executive branch.
2) ICE's administrative warrants aren't even signed by IJs.
3) A real judicial warrant is required for arrests in homes (absent exigency). Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980).
1) Immigration judges aren't "judges." They are part of the executive branch.
2) ICE's administrative warrants aren't even signed by IJs.
3) A real judicial warrant is required for arrests in homes (absent exigency). Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980).
Q: You're a constitutional lawyer. Can you detail the 4th Amendment protections someone has if ICE approaches their home w/an administrative warrant?
MIKE JOHNSON: When ICE goes to execute a warrant, it's issued by an immigration judge, & that is a sufficient legal authority to go apprehend someone
MIKE JOHNSON: When ICE goes to execute a warrant, it's issued by an immigration judge, & that is a sufficient legal authority to go apprehend someone
February 3, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Just No.
1) Immigration judges aren't "judges." They are part of the executive branch.
2) ICE's administrative warrants aren't even signed by IJs.
3) A real judicial warrant is required for arrests in homes (absent exigency). Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980).
1) Immigration judges aren't "judges." They are part of the executive branch.
2) ICE's administrative warrants aren't even signed by IJs.
3) A real judicial warrant is required for arrests in homes (absent exigency). Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980).
Reposted by John Halloran
Buried lede: he realizes that it is absolutely impossible to achieve mass deportation if that process is required, which it constitutionally is.
Mike Johnson speaks out against the use of judicial warrants in immigration cases:
"Imagine if we had to go through the process of getting a judicial warrant"
"Imagine if we had to go through the process of getting a judicial warrant"
February 3, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Buried lede: he realizes that it is absolutely impossible to achieve mass deportation if that process is required, which it constitutionally is.
This looks incredible.
The Table of Contents is up for my book. For the nerds, the chapts are named for the central argument, not the time periods. The 1st is on the colonial period, 2nd Revo War era, 3rd is Founding, 4-6 on the 19th century. Pre-order here for a March 24 delivery: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
February 3, 2026 at 1:22 PM
This looks incredible.
Reposted by John Halloran
Another eight federal prosecutors have left or announced their intentions to leave the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
The latest: Eight more federal prosecutors set to leave the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office
The recent wave of departures follow the mass exodus of six veteran prosecutors last month who quit in protest of recent directives from the U.S. Department of Justice.
bit.ly
February 2, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Another eight federal prosecutors have left or announced their intentions to leave the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
Look, Charles Murray, who can possibly fault Christopher Nolan for casting Lupita Nyong'o, the most beautiful woman alive, as Helen of Troy.
Forgive me, Jesus, because I genuinely deeply enjoy how perpetually unhappy and desolate these losers are.
February 3, 2026 at 1:44 AM
Look, Charles Murray, who can possibly fault Christopher Nolan for casting Lupita Nyong'o, the most beautiful woman alive, as Helen of Troy.
And I’m again going to say that this level of unambiguous anger is Probably Good given the state of things.
Fed judges are getting PISSED. The levels of overt anger we are seeing in opinions is not, I think, at all usual.
Judge Reyes’s conclusion: “There is an old adage among lawyers. If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither, pound the table. … Having neither and bringing the adage into the 21st century, [Noem] pounds X (f/k/a Twitter).”
February 3, 2026 at 1:26 AM
And I’m again going to say that this level of unambiguous anger is Probably Good given the state of things.
I think we’re hesitant to do this, even though the alternative will require ripping into finished basement ceilings.
Okay. We have some sort of leak in our main gas line.
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
February 3, 2026 at 1:25 AM
I think we’re hesitant to do this, even though the alternative will require ripping into finished basement ceilings.
Reposted by John Halloran
Judge Reyes begins by explaining who the plaintiffs are: not "killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies" as Kristi Noem suggested.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
February 3, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Judge Reyes begins by explaining who the plaintiffs are: not "killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies" as Kristi Noem suggested.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
Reposted by John Halloran
HUGE. A victory for more than a quarter million Haitians with Temporary Protected Status. A significant majority of them entered the United States legally and have never been out of status since.
Even the Trump admin isn't saying Haiti is a safe country for them to go back to.
Even the Trump admin isn't saying Haiti is a safe country for them to go back to.
BREAKING: Judge Ana Reyes, in DC, issues a stay of DHS Sec. Noem’s decision to end Haiti’s temporary protected status (TPS) designation, a decision that was to go into effect on Tuesday and could have ended legal status for up to 350,000 people overnight. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 3, 2026 at 12:46 AM
HUGE. A victory for more than a quarter million Haitians with Temporary Protected Status. A significant majority of them entered the United States legally and have never been out of status since.
Even the Trump admin isn't saying Haiti is a safe country for them to go back to.
Even the Trump admin isn't saying Haiti is a safe country for them to go back to.
Okay. We have some sort of leak in our main gas line.
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
February 2, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Okay. We have some sort of leak in our main gas line.
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
A proposal is to run the line on the exterior of the house around to close to the mechanicals. It is appealing to me to not have a potentially leaky gas line in my house. It is not appealing to me to expose a line to the elements.
Any thoughts?
Evidently there’s a gas leak in my house.
Just in case you were wondering what exactly was wrong with me.
Just in case you were wondering what exactly was wrong with me.
February 2, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Evidently there’s a gas leak in my house.
Just in case you were wondering what exactly was wrong with me.
Just in case you were wondering what exactly was wrong with me.
A further uncomfortable reality:
Creating shared social virtues will require a substantial social, political, AND (here’s the uncomfortable part) governmental commitment to teaching those virtues and to being wholly intolerant of the scoundrels and those who enable them.
Creating shared social virtues will require a substantial social, political, AND (here’s the uncomfortable part) governmental commitment to teaching those virtues and to being wholly intolerant of the scoundrels and those who enable them.
an uncomfortable reality: functional democracy needs shared social virtues. once scoundrels take the tiller and theres no enforceable punishment mechanisms, the entire institutional project tips over like a house of cards. you can redesign institutions, but purging depravity from public service? oof
February 2, 2026 at 3:03 PM
A further uncomfortable reality:
Creating shared social virtues will require a substantial social, political, AND (here’s the uncomfortable part) governmental commitment to teaching those virtues and to being wholly intolerant of the scoundrels and those who enable them.
Creating shared social virtues will require a substantial social, political, AND (here’s the uncomfortable part) governmental commitment to teaching those virtues and to being wholly intolerant of the scoundrels and those who enable them.
Reposted by John Halloran
fuck that fucking groundhog
February 2, 2026 at 1:48 PM
fuck that fucking groundhog
Reposted by John Halloran
Violating hospitality is one of the oldest proscriptions across so many cultures.
Thinking about whoever said that by accepting a meal from people and then arresting them ICE agents broke a cultural taboo that was invented by, like, the first humans to set up a tent
February 1, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Violating hospitality is one of the oldest proscriptions across so many cultures.
Reposted by John Halloran
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.
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
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.
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.
Reposted by John Halloran
ICE can be abolished tomorrow. Not just reassigned or reorganized, but abolished.
Politically maybe hard, but policy-wise pretty low-hanging fruit.
But abolishing CBP is trickier, and likely requires some restructuring, more than just reassignment.
It's time to start working that out now.
Politically maybe hard, but policy-wise pretty low-hanging fruit.
But abolishing CBP is trickier, and likely requires some restructuring, more than just reassignment.
It's time to start working that out now.
February 2, 2026 at 2:10 AM
ICE can be abolished tomorrow. Not just reassigned or reorganized, but abolished.
Politically maybe hard, but policy-wise pretty low-hanging fruit.
But abolishing CBP is trickier, and likely requires some restructuring, more than just reassignment.
It's time to start working that out now.
Politically maybe hard, but policy-wise pretty low-hanging fruit.
But abolishing CBP is trickier, and likely requires some restructuring, more than just reassignment.
It's time to start working that out now.
Reposted by John Halloran
This is clearly true.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that incentives shape the way that street-level workers marshal resources to meet demands. Stephen Miller has been aggressive about dramatically shifting those incentives.
But …
Additionally, it’s important to remember that incentives shape the way that street-level workers marshal resources to meet demands. Stephen Miller has been aggressive about dramatically shifting those incentives.
But …
New at Tusk: The officers who killed Good and Pretti were experienced and well trained. The problem is their incentives.
The "better training" dodge
ICE's problem is incentives, not skills
open.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:01 AM
This is clearly true.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that incentives shape the way that street-level workers marshal resources to meet demands. Stephen Miller has been aggressive about dramatically shifting those incentives.
But …
Additionally, it’s important to remember that incentives shape the way that street-level workers marshal resources to meet demands. Stephen Miller has been aggressive about dramatically shifting those incentives.
But …
Cooley High is starting in one minute on TCM.
If you haven’t watched it you should.
If you haven’t watched it you should.
February 2, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Cooley High is starting in one minute on TCM.
If you haven’t watched it you should.
If you haven’t watched it you should.