Shows
Lawful AssemblyFarewell... A Final EpisodeThis is our final episode. The demands of creating the show are much greater than its reach, so we are focusing our energies to do good in other ways and leaving the podcast behind. We are grateful to all our listeners, and to all the people who commented and contacted us. We thank you for letting us be part of your lives for the last year. Carry on and fight the good fight. Here are the shownotes to this week's episode: SHOW NOTES States of Washington, Illinois, Arizona, and Or...
2025-01-3145 min
Lawful AssemblyA challenge to Birthright Citizenship Today we talk about the 14th amendment and the executive order to change it signed recently. We also talk about Episcopal DC Bishop the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, and the new policies of ICE https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/21/politics/ice-can-arrest-people-at-churches-and-schools https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/21/republican-reaction-jan-6-violent-offenders-trump-pardon/?utm_campaign=wp_the_5_minute_fix&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/trumps-un-ambassador-pick-says-israel-has-biblical-right-to-west-bank https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-brown-challenges-unconstitutional-order-birthright-citizenship SHOW NOTES 1. Peter L. Markowitz, “NYC’s Sanctuary Law Helps Defe...
2025-01-2432 min
Lawful AssemblyDefense Secretary Hearings and Chicago Votes to Protect ImmigrantsSHOW NOTES We talk about the confirmation hearings, the release of the special counsels report and the vote in Chicago to help protect immigrants. https://news.wttw.com/2025/01/15/chicago-city-council-votes-39-11-reject-push-scale-back-protections-undocumented https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-announces-israel-hamas-ceasefire-deal-2025-01-15/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/politics/takeaways-jack-smith-report-donald-trump/index.html For more information on Pete Hegseth’s connection to the Crusades, see Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite’s Substack, “Hegseth; The Tatooed Crusader.” https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/hegseth-the-tatooed-crusader?publication_id=1360431...
2025-01-1730 min
Lawful AssemblySpecial Counsel Report and the 'Laken Riley Act'SHOW NOTES House Passes ‘Laken Riley Act’ to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants Charged With Minor Crimes - The New York Times AG Merrick Garland intends to release special counsel report on Trump's Jan. 6 case, DOJ says Justice Dept. to Hold Off Releasing Report on Trump Documents Case - The New York Times Trump Seeks to Halt His Criminal Sentencing in New York For information on the Laken Riley Act, see the National Immigrant Law Center fact sheet CALL to ACTION Laken Riley Act...
2025-01-1030 min
Lawful AssemblyListener Questions about Religion and Reflections on the Death of Jimmy CarterToday Craig answers several listener questions about religion and morality. Cecil chimes in with his thoughts. They both chat about the death of former President Jimmy Carter. The idea of a trial of innocence asking each human whether to do well or not do well comes from André LaCocque, Onslaught Against Innocence, Cain, Abel, and the Yahwist. (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2008), p. 1. See also, André LaCocque, The Trial of Innocence, Adam, Eve, and the Yahwist. (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2006). Rachel S. Mikva provides multiple interpretations of holy writings in Dangerous Religious Ideas, T...
2025-01-0348 min
Lawful AssemblyPardons, Trump Sues Iowa Pollster, and Judge Denies Trump's Bid to Throw Out Conviction We talk about pardons for immigrants in detention and then discuss a few Trump cases as he settles in to take office next month. Show Notes Part II of Craig’s article that discusses all the biblical protagonists who would have been unlawful under U.S. immigration law, “You Were Told to Love the Immigrant, But What If the Story Never Happened? Hospitality and United States Immigration Law,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 33: Iss. 1, Article 8, can be found at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2784951 Craig has prev...
2024-12-2039 min
Lawful AssemblyChicago as Ground Zero for Mass DeportationsMr. Homan makes a false claim that nine out of ten people who claim asylum never get relief. (“Chicago to be ground zero for mass deportations, Trump border czar tells Illinois Republicans,” Tina Sfondeles, December 9, 2024, Chicago Sun Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2024/12/09/border-czar-tom-homan-donald-trump-chicago-pritzker-brandon-johnson-immigration?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12102024%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=12102024%20Morning%20Edition+CID_9e386f999f41eb3cc9b8411a2058045c&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Chicago%20will%20be%20ground%20zero%20for%20mass%20deportations%20Trump%20border%20czar%20tells%20Illinois%20Republicans&tpcc=cst_cm First, it is unclear what asylum...
2024-12-1329 min
Lawful AssemblyBoycotting the Press, Hunter Biden PardonWe talk about several news stories on this week's show. Check out our show notes below: For more information on the disproportionate toll on Palestinians lives since 1917, see Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017, (N.Y., Henry Holt & Co., 2020). The Haaretz podcast quoted in this episode can be found at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/podcasts/2024-11-30/ty-article-podcast/.premium/netanyahus-war-on-the-israeli-media-and-how-it-is-already-affecting-press-freedom/00000193-7e85-d7fe-a393-7f8d17600000 For a general summary of anti-BDS laws in the United...
2024-12-0637 min
Lawful AssemblyIsrael, Gaza, and Reflections on Thanksgiving You can find the op-ed by Thomas Friedman, “Mr. Trump, Do You Realize How Much the World Has Changed Since You Were President?” Nov. 26, 202 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/opinion/trump-israel-iran.html Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1863, can be found at: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/transcript_for_abraham_lincoln_thanksgiving_proclamation_1863.pdf A colleague on the same Solidarity Pilgrimage with me posted the following statement about our trip: https://substack.com/home/post/p-152180354 For more information on how Palestinians have had their human rights violated for over a cent...
2024-11-2928 min
Lawful AssemblyEncountering Different WorldviewsA short solo podcast this week. Talking about what we talked about last week and clarifying for some listeners.
2024-11-2212 min
Lawful AssemblyWelcoming the Stranger vs. MAGA JesusToday Craig and Cecil discuss the differences in how groups use Christianity to shape their ideas on immigration. The chapter contrasting the Migrant 4 Life from MAGA Jesus and the immigration consequences of the Tower of Babel story, “A Migrant 4 Life Journeys to the New Tower of Babel: Christianity and Immigration,” can be found at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4769482 The chapter that discusses Ruth and the daily trial of innocence, “Nonrefoulement: Responding to Asylum-seekers Through the Prism of Subversive Stories: A Study of Three Trials of Innocence,” can be found at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abst...
2024-11-1543 min
Lawful AssemblyPost Election ThoughtsCraig and Cecil talk about the election results, what to do next and how to move forward. Notes for this episode: Marcela Valdes, "What a Crackdown on Immigration Could Mean for Cheap Milk," NY Times Magazine, October 15, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/magazine/milk-industry-undocumented-immigrants.html?searchResultPosition=1 Harriet Tubman's quote came from Tiya Miles book, Night Flyer, Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People, (New York, Penguin Press, 2024), pp. 234-5.
2024-11-0820 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Madison Square Garden Rally, Elon's GivawaysWe spend much of this week's show talking about and playing clips from the Madison Square Garden Rally. We also cover some news stories about Elon Musk and a new defamation lawsuit filed against Donald Trump Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism There’s a Big New Defamation Lawsuit Against Trump. It’s a Slam Dunk. Elon Musk, enemy of ‘open borders,’ launched his career working illegally Philadelphia DA sues Elon Musk over $1 million giveaway to registered voters : NPR For one example of biblica...
2024-11-0146 min
Lawful AssemblyDiscussing Pernicious Polarization with Dr. Jennifer McCoy, Ph.D.Our guest Today is Dr. Jennifer McCoy, Ph.D. She is a Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. We discussed Pernicious Polarization, what causes it, and how to combat it. Overcoming Polarization Journal of Democracy, Volume 32, Number 1, January 2021, Johns Hopkins University Press Peter Marty's quote is from “Playing to the Crowds” in The Christian Century that can be found at: https://www.christiancentury.org/first-words/playing-crowds Craig has discussed the Abraham Lincoln statement in his op-ed, "Rescinding DACA: More than Just the Dreamers," Update, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (Fall 2017): file:///Users/cmousin/Download...
2024-10-2548 min
Lawful AssemblyTrump Bibles in Oklahoma and Voting Like JesusThis week we talk about several news stories. All the stories are linked below. Megachurch pastor tells congregation to "vote like Jesus" by supporting Trump 'Trump Bible' one of few that meet Walters' criteria for Oklahoma classrooms FBI Kavanaugh probe tightly controlled by Trump White House, congressional report finds - The Washington Post DeSantis Threatening Jail Time for Running Abortion Rights Ads in Florida - TPM – Talking Points Memo Trump wages campaign against real-time fact checks - The Washington Post Dr. Bourbaine's quote can be found in Donald W...
2024-10-1843 min
Lawful AssemblyJack Smith’s Latest Legal Filing in the Trump v. United States CaseThis week we talk about the newest legal filing by Jack Smith in the DC Trump Case. We talk about what is in it and some commentary on the filing itself and the timing of the filing. https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/73357920e3c8d739/8fc8bfd0-full.pdf How Jack Smith Outsmarted the Supreme Court Opinion | Jack Smith Owes Us an Explanation
2024-10-1139 min
Lawful AssemblyOverhaul SCOTUS, Fact Checking Immigrant Crime DataSweeping bill to overhaul Supreme Court would add six justices Rudy Giuliani disbarred in D.C. over 2020 election scheme Trump turns to darker rhetoric as voting begins : NPR How Trump distorts immigration and crime data in new attacks on Harris - The Washington Post Biden Administration Cements Harmful Asylum Restrictions Two NIJC reports on the new Biden Asylum Rule "NIJC Condemns Decision to Finalize Anti-Asylum Rule Amid Rampant Rights Violations" which can be found at: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-condemns-decision-finalize-anti-asylum-rule-amid-rampant-rights-violations?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7edf6b09-2975-49d7-a000-832758604c04 NIJC's report: "Six-Week Report: Implementation of the Biden Administration’s June 2024...
2024-10-0439 min
Data Over DogmaThe Biblical View of ImmigrantsThis week Craig Mousin and Cecil Cicirello of the Lawful Assembly podcast join us to talk about one of the major hot-button issues in current world politics: immigration. Craig is not only a lawyer who specializes in immigration law, he's also an ordained minister, so we asked him on to bring his unique perspective to bear on the issue. We discuss the current state of things in the U.S., and ask what a Biblical approach might be.You can find Lawful Assembly wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.lawfulpod.com/. Go give them...
2024-09-301h 05
Lawful AssemblyHaitians File Suit Against Trump and Vance, Judge Cannon and Her Right Wing Funded JunketsWe talk about several stories on this week's show and field a voicemail from a listener. Judge Aileen Cannon Failed to Disclose a Right-Wing Junket — ProPublica Marcellus Williams is executed despite prosecutors and the victim’s family asking that he be spared | CNN Haitian group in Springfield, Ohio, files citizen criminal charges against Trump and Vance - ABC7 Chicago Opinion | GOP lies about illegal immigrant voting will be the basis for election denial - The Washington Post Don Kerwin’s article, “The Trials and Consolations of Migrant-Serving Faith-Based...
2024-09-2744 min
Lawful AssemblyTrump's Attacks on Immigrants; Ginni Thomas and the First Liberty InstituteWe talk about several news stories this last week. We start by discussing the debates and then move on to talking about Ginni Thomas and the recent story in ProPublica enlisting help opposing SCOTUS reform. Judge Sets Deadlines in Trump Election Case, Saying Campaign Is 'Not Relevant' Ginni Thomas Email Praised Group Opposing SCOTUS Reform — ProPublica Justice Amy Coney Barrett describes coming home with bulletproof vest Steve Vladek's comments on the interaction between all three branches of government, "Bonus 98: The "Least Dangerous" Branch—Court Reform and Federalist 78," can be found at: h...
2024-09-2032 min
Lawful AssemblyHow They Would Dismantle Asylum Using Project 2025TRAC at Syracuse University's report on legal representation, "Too Few Immigration Attorneys: Average representation Rates Fall from 65% to 30%, can be found at: https://trac.syr.edu/reports/736/ Dorothee Soelle's quote can be found in The Window of Vulnerability, A Political Spirituality, (Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 1990), p.7. 2025: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
2024-09-1336 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Revised January 6th Indictment, Judge Luttig Endorses HarrisWe cover several stories in the news this week: The information regarding Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge removing more that one million voters from his state's voter registration came from political scientist Rober Mickey in "American Needs Georgia Republicans to Defend Democracy Again," Mary Gay, The New York Times, August 29, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/opinion/georgia-election-board-certification.html "Top Military officer says he was wrong to accompany Trump on church walk through Lafayette Square," June 11, 2020: https://m.abc3340.com/news/nation-world/milley-says-he-was-wrong-to-accompany-trump-on-church-walk The photo with the words "All Are Welcome" at St. John's Epi...
2024-09-0631 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Immigration Blueprint in Project 2025Today we read the section of Project 2025 on the restructuring of the Department of Homeland Security and what that has to do with the future of immigration in possible Trump presidency. Show notes: Current USCIS Mission Statement: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/mission-and-core-values Project 2025: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf (Mission Statement is on page 134). Hannah Arendt discusses Germany's enhanced power of police (p. 287) and the impact of denaturalization (p. 296) in, The Origins of Totalitarianism (New York: Harcourt, 1976). I compare her discussion with the contemporary impunity of the Border Patrol and ICE i...
2024-08-3033 min
Lawful AssemblyHistorical Connections - 1968 and 2024 Democratic National ConventionToday I ask Craig about the year 1968 and the Democratic National Convention. He gives me a history lesson on the year leading up to the riots in Chicago. References: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 2024 DNC speech. Senator Raphael Warnock’s 2024 DNC speech. The Executive Summary of the “Rights in Conflict” report regarding indiscriminate police violence at the 1968 DNC. The dates discussed in 1968 came from “1968” from Wikipedia. The Catonsville 9 issued a report on their actions. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed both the civil rights movement and his opposition t...
2024-08-2339 min
Lawful AssemblySummer Break!Craig took a week off recording to head to the woods of Maine to enjoy this summer. I have a short message for our listeners to help the show grow. Full show next week!
2024-08-1603 min
Lawful AssemblyElection Season Immigration Myths DebunkedToday we talk about immigration myths and debunk the most common ones that will crop up this election season. The Refugee Convention and Protocoal Relating to the Status of Refugees (quote from page 5): https://www.unhcr.org/media/convention-and-protocol-relating-status-refugees For information on non-citizens voting and how few cases have been found, see: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/four-things-to-know-about-noncitizen-voting/ NBC Chicago produced a documentary on the issues related to finding housing for newly arrived asylum-seekers in Chicago when the state of Texas refused to coordinate with the City of Chicago: "Desde Cero: The Migra...
2024-08-0935 min
Lawful AssemblyBiden Suggests Ways to Rein in Supreme Court, How to Stay PositiveToday we talk about President Biden's plan to reform the supreme court. We also field a question on how to remain positive in a world that inundates us with negativity. Democrats May Have a Real Chance to Reform the Supreme Court FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law | The White House You can find information on the Lamp, Lifeboat, Ladder at: https://lamplifeboatladder.org/
2024-08-0237 min
Lawful AssemblyUS vs Rahimi Case and How to Reconsider Gun PolicyWe finish our conversation on recent gun decisions in the supreme court. We also talk about what we might consider good gun law. United States v. Rahimi (June 21, 2014); https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-915new_ihdk.pdf Sophie Sherry's article in the July 23, 2024 Chicago Sun Times, "Domestic violence deaths spiked 110% in Illinois last year, adding to calls for passage of Karina’s Bill," can be found at: https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2024/07/23/domestic-violence-deaths-spiked-illinois-last-year-passage-karinas-bill?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=072424%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=072424%20Morning%20Edition+CID_8dd80202dd4aa1da542e049db79332bd&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&ut...
2024-07-2641 min
Lawful AssemblyMcDonald, Bruen, Gun rights, and A Dismissal by Judge CannonWe contiune our second ammendment discussion in light of the recent attempt on the life of the former president. We also talk about the dismissal of the documents case. New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S.Ct.2111 (2022): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_new_m648.pdf To review Justice Breyer's list of scholars who have documented the historical errors within the Heller decision, see Bruen at pp. 2177-2179. McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/561/742/ For more information on the decision by Judge Aileen Cannon, see Joyce Vance...
2024-07-1946 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Bedrock of Second Amendment Cases: DC vs. Heller (2008)Today is the first part of a series on recenct Supreme Court cases on the Second Ammendment. Today we talk about the District of Columbia vs Heller District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes/554bv.pdf Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/litigation/ Craig has previously written on gun control issues: "Where Does One Stand on A Slippery Slope?" at: file:///Users/cmousin/Downloads/Slippery%20Slope_stamped-3.pdf
2024-07-1236 min
Lawful AssemblyPresidential ImmunityWe are releasing a little early this week because this is an important episode and much of the week is a holiday. Trump v. United States: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf "The Man for All Seasons" (Final Scene): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODejZPHC9vU&t=2s Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite "Fight On" on Substack: https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/fight-on?publication_id=1360431&post_id=146086140&isFreemail=true&r=3ag8ix&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Cuyahoga River fire: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-least-dozen-times-no-one-cared-until-1969-180972444/
2024-07-0347 min
Lawful AssemblyEmergency Abortions in Idaho, Ten Commandments in LouisianaToday we talk about the Supreme Court case in Idaho and the Ten Commandments in classrooms in Louisiana. Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking, The Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate,(Vintage Books, 2013), 218-219. Michael L. Radelet, Hugo A. Bedau, Constance Putnam, In Spite of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases, (Boston, Northeastern University Press, 1992). Glenn L. Pierce and Michael L. Radelet, “Death Sentencing in East Baton Rouge Parish, 1990-2008,” LOUISIANA LAW REVIEW, 71:647-73 Drew Hawkins and Maya Miller, “Book bans are on the rise in the G...
2024-06-2837 min
Lawful AssemblyRecent Supreme Court RulingsWe recorded on Juneteenth so we talk about the history briefly. We also discuss the recent supreme court rulings. "The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth:" https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth Biden Executive Orders: Links: White House Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-keep-families-together/ Opinion | Is the Supreme Court Running Out the Clock on Trump’s Immunity Case? - The New York Times Supreme Court Maintains Broad Access to Abortion Pill Mifepristone - The New York Times Supreme Court Ruling on Bump Stocks Could Open Door to More...
2024-06-2136 min
Lawful AssemblyLegal Briefs: Justice Alito's OTHER Flag, Biden Executive Order on ImmigrationWe talk about the Appeal To Heaven flag on Justice Alito's vacation home and the new executive order on immigration. Craig's op-ed in the ACCU Update (Summer 2012), “The Messenger Matters” can be found at: https://works.bepress.com/craig_mousin/36/ Dina Nayeri's quote can be found in The Ungrateful Refugee, What Immigrants Never Tell You, (NY: Catapult, 2019), p. 262. NIJC National Policy Director Heidi Altman’s quote is in Michael Shear’s “To Restrict Migrants, Biden Leans on Trump’s Favorite Immigration Law,’ June 4, 2024, The New York Times. It can be found at...
2024-06-1431 min
Lawful AssemblyTrump Guilty on 34 Counts of Election InterferenceToday we talk about the election Interference / hush money case and the 34 felony counts against a former president. Here are the articles referenced: Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case - The New York Times May 31, 2024 - by Heather Cox Richardson This obscure N.Y. election law is at the heart of Trump's hush money trial Posts misrepresent New York judge’s instructions to jury in Trump hush money trial | AP News We urge you to comment on the proposed rule that would...
2024-06-0736 min
Lawful AssemblyAlito's Flag Controversy, the 10 Commandments, and Courtroom Decorum.We cover multiple stories this week here are the articles: Samuel Alito's snide denial of his Jan. 6 flag is just as ugly as flying it in the first place Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin Calls On Samuel Alito To Recuse From Jan. 6 Cases Key Senate Democrat doesn't plan to probe Justice Alito over upside-down flag Louisiana becomes 1st state to require the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms As conservatives put religion in schools, Satanists want in, too Trump trial judge scolds attorney Robert Costello: From t...
2024-05-3141 min
Lawful AssemblyReflections on Civil DisobedienceToday we talk about the protests on college campuses and Craig tells a story similar to today, when he protested the Vietnam War. Articles used: Report on some of the agreements negotiated on college campuses in Spring 2024. Report on all universities destroyed in Gaza during this war. MLK, Jr. "Beyond Vietnam" speech. NPR story on Dr. Orest Ranum's files burned Orangeburg Massacre Kent State Deaths Since the recording of this podcast on civil disobedience, we have learned that the Prisoners of Conscience that have served time for crossing the line at the then Ft. Banning, Georgia was un...
2024-05-2437 min
Lawful AssemblyRestrictions To An Already Compromised Asylum SystemThis week we talk about a proposed rule from the Biden Administration that may change asylum proceedures and allow adjudicators to turn away people without proper research on their background. Read the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/13/2024-10390/application-of-certain-mandatory-bars-in-fear-screenings Read the NIJC's breakdown: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-denounces-new-biden-rule-adding-restrictions-already-compromised-asylum-system Contact your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Contact your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Craig's paper he mentions: Health Inequity and Tent Court Injustice Next week we should have a call to action with templates for you to help submit your comment...
2024-05-1734 min
Lawful AssemblyIs the Presidency Immune from Prosecution? Pt. 2We contiune to listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/23-939%20Brief.pdf There is a mistake in this podcast. Cecil mentions Article 3 of the consistution. It is actually article 2.
2024-05-1050 min
Lawful AssemblyIs the Presidency Immune from Prosecution? Pt. 1We listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf Photo by: Michael Vadon
2024-05-0340 min
Lawful AssemblyMediation and Negotiation Techniques for Approaching Difficult ConversationsHere is Craig's opening paragraph framework: Although this unscripted podcast began as a discussion of difficult conversations, it soon veered into how to engage in conversations about racism and war. We soon realized that the tools needed to engage fully may differ when conversations occur with friends, within a family, a community, a library board, a university, or a national dialogue. We acknowledge that the tragedy of slavery in this nation and the ongoing debates on how to resolve the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow have caused substantial harm to individuals and communities. We offer this podca...
2024-04-2644 min
Lawful AssemblyJudge Cannon and Trump's Classified Documents CaseToday we talk about the documents case and the judge overseeing it, and the judge appointed by Donald Trump in 2019, Judge Cannon. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/politics/trump-trial-documents-cannon.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/politics/trump-documents-witnesses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/politics/judge-trump-dismissal-classified-documents.html
2024-04-1938 min
Lawful AssemblyStates Rights vs Federal PowerWe talk about the tension between states rights and federal power. How does a court decide which to lean more heavily on? Articles referenced: Valor The myth of ‘open borders’ For additional description of how state laws impacted the travel and work of African-Americans or freed slaves in the years before the Civil War, see e.g., Kate Masur, Until Justice Be Done, America's First Civil Rights Movement From the Revolution to Reconstruction, (N.Y.: W. W. Norton & Company, 2021), 123-126 and 157-59).
2024-04-1235 min
Lawful AssemblyListener QuestionsWe answer several listener questions this week. We talk about a lot of different issues and here are some of the links we suggested in the episode: https://immigrantjustice.org/ https://cmsny.org/ https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/
2024-04-0537 min
Lawful AssemblyLying, Disinformation and our U.S. Political LandscapeToday we talk about lying in the political discourse. We used the following news articles for reference “Can’t make it up”: Experts say transcript shows special counsel Robert Hur “lied” about Biden | Salon.com Biden special counsel Robert Hur’s resignation from DOJ makes his testimony “even more problematic” | Salon.com Anti-sex trafficking advocate accuses GOP Sen. Katie Britt of distorting her story Journalist says Katie Britt’s story about child sex abuse ‘out-and-out lie’ | Republicans | The Guardian We also talked about this book: How Civil Wars Start AND HO...
2024-03-2939 min
Lawful AssemblyInjunction Junction - What's your Function?For more information on antebellum state migration laws, see, "The myth of ‘open borders.’ Even before the U.S. government regulated migration, states did. Here’s why" by Anna O. Law, the Herbert Kurz Chair in Constitutional Rights and associate professor of political science at CUNY Brooklyn College. (September 21, 2021), The Washington Post Heidi Altman, the Director of Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center (https://immigrantjustice.org/ ) presents ten points of humane border solutions. They can be found at: https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/humane-solutions-work-10-ways-biden-administration-should-reshape-immigration-policy Read Steve Vladeck's blog post: https://stevevladeck.substack.com/p/72-30-h...
2024-03-2230 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Bump Stock BanThe supreme court listened to oral arguments on the bump stock ban and we talk about those arguments and the briefs submitted to the court. https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-976.html https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-976
2024-03-1542 min
Lawful AssemblyLet's Reshape Immigration PolicyToday we talk about 10 points to reshape and improve immigration policy in the USA. We used the National Immigrant Justice Center's 10 points as a backdrop for our discussion: https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/humane-solutions-work-10-ways-biden-administration-should-reshape-immigration-policy https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-29/immigration-crisis-border-migrants-united-states-mexico-election-biden-trump
2024-03-0838 min
Lawful AssemblyTalking About Religion in the Public Square--a beginningBoth Craig and Cecil are religious separationists, meaning religion should have no role in government, Here they discuss several topics and cover some groundwork on the subject. Craig directed the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center for six years, the pro bono program that later became the National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/ . If you would like more information on Craig's work at MIRC, check out his digital story at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9VTkjhzIcI
2024-03-0142 min
Lawful AssemblyAmicus Briefs and Oral Arguments in the Colorado Ballot Case https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/299107/20240129171610494_23-719_Amici%20Brief.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-719 http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295761/20240116095552269_23-719%20tsac%20Lash.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/298122/20240118165315506_Trump%20v.%20Anderson-Amici%20Brief%201.18.24.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295994/20240118094034746_Trump%20v%20Anderson.pdf https://www.citizensunited.org/citizens-united-files-scotus-amicus-brief-in-trump-v-anderson-with-u-s-attorneys-general-and-law-professors/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/casehand/AmicusGuide2019.pdf
2024-02-231h 00
Lawful AssemblyJudicial Appointments and the Controversy over the Honorable Todd E. EdelmannArticles referenced: Judicial Vacancies | United States Courts Opinion | A Republican senator smeared a Biden nominee — and Democrats cowered - The Washington Post Most of Biden’s judge appointees are women, racial or ethnic minorities | Pew Research Center Senate confirms Biden's 150th judge Biden has successfully appointed 166 federal judges through January 1 of his fourth year Opinion | Biden is filling the federal bench as promised - The Washington Post
2024-02-1640 min
Lawful AssemblyQuid Pro Quo Justices? Trump warns of ‘big trouble’ as Supreme Court agrees to hear Colorado ballot case | The Hill “Unprofessional”: Experts blast Trump lawyer for saying Brett Kavanaugh “quid pro quo part out loud” | Salon.com CHICAGO TONIGHT Terrorism Expert on Dangers Facing American Democracy
2024-02-0946 min
Lawful AssemblySidebar: Gov. Abbot, the Supreme Court and the Great Inspiration Theory Pro-Trump anti-immigrant ad makes it seem as if Haley coddles ‘criminals’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rebuffed his plea to pause migrant transports to Chicago area during freeze Supreme Court Backs Biden in Dispute With Texas Over Border Barrier - The New York Times Nobody is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States Photo by Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com
2024-02-0236 min
Lawful AssemblyThe Legality of Using Police as Border Agents Justice Department sues Texas over law that would let police arrest migrants who enter US illegally Here is the lawsuit: https://www.justice.gov/media/1330861/dl?inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Haley had a good point about immigration — but no one wants to hear it right now | Opinion A Clear View from the Prairie: Harold Washington and the People of Illinois Respond to Federal Encroachment of Human Rights 29 S. Ill. L. J. 285 (Fall, 2004/Winter, 2005). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2997657
2024-01-2642 min
Lawful AssemblyStates Grapple With Mr. Trump's EligibilityDonald Trump is removed from the ballot in Colorado and other states. Your Questions About the Colorado Trump Ruling, Answered | TIME Takeaways from Colorado’s historic ruling that Trump is ineligible for office based on 14th Amendment’s ‘insurrectionist ban’ | CNN Politics What to Know About the Efforts to Remove Trump From the 2024 Ballot Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim Closing music: "Green Leaf Rain" arranged and performed by Matt Yanny...
2024-01-1946 min
Lawful AssemblyEpisode 5: Are We Prepared for a 2024 Trump Immigration Landscape?We discuss the former president's plans for office in 2024 and the possible immigration implications. We used this article: How Trump and His Allies Plan to Wield Power in 2025 - The New York Times Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim Closing music: "Green Leaf Rain" arranged and performed by Matt Yanny-Tillar from the Voices CD "Tearing Down Walls": https://soundcloud.com/mbyannytillar/09-green-leaf-rain Dare the U...
2024-01-1840 min
Lawful AssemblyEpisode 4: Rudy Giuliani's Defamation CaseWe discuss Rudy Giuliani's defamation lawsuit, the decision and what it is like to be an election worker. Articles discussed: Giuliani defamation trial live updates: Jury awards election workers nearly $150 million - ABC News ‘How evil’: Ruby Freeman describes violent threats after false Trump, Giuliani attacks - POLITICO Rudy Giuliani concedes he made false statements against 2 Georgia election workers Georgia Election Workers Sue Giuliani Again - The New York Times The fall of Rudy Giuliani: How ‘America’s mayor’ tied his fate to Donald Trump and got indicted Giuliani Says Democrats Used ‘USB Ports’ Pass...
2024-01-1842 min
Lawful AssemblyEpisode 3: Chicago Welcomes New Arrivals: Challenge or Opportunity?We talk about the influx of asylum seekers sent to Chicago via bus from red states. Articles referenced: Chicago struggles to house migrants as winter weather slams the city Illinois warned to prepare for up to 25 buses of migrants a day as state pleads for federal help REVEALED: Texas has bused almost 52,000 migrants to Dem-run cities, including 18,500 to NYC and 13,500 to Chicago - as Gov. Greg Abbott says many more will follow | Daily Mail Online In Chicago, a Neighborhood of Immigrants Is Conflicted About More Arrivals - The New York Times As Winter Looms, Venezuelan Migrant S...
2024-01-1831 min
Lawful AssemblyEpisode 2: An Ethics Code for the Supreme Court?We discuss the supreme court and their new ethics code of conduct. Articles referenced: The Supreme Court’s new ethics code is an unenforceable joke - Vox Opinion | The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code: ‘Worthless’ Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From GOP Donor — ProPublica Clarence Thomas loan report spurs new ethics criticism of US Supreme Court | Reuters Clarence Thomas accepted even more gifts from billionaires, new report finds : NPR Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report says | AP News Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written...
2024-01-1850 min
Lawful AssemblyEpisode 1: What Are Refugee Restrictionists Up To?We review the Proposed Lankford-Cotton Bill and discuss the implications to international law: https://humanrightsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Intl-Law-Analysis-of-Lankford-Cotton_Nov-202312.pdf Take Action: Call Senators to Reject Harmful Immigration Proposals Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim Closing music: "Green Leaf Rain" arranged and performed by Matt Yanny-Tillar from the Voices CD "Tearing Down Walls": https://soundcloud.com/mbyannytillar/09-green-leaf-rain Dare the Untried CD is fully on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album...
2024-01-1847 min