Asha Rangappa

Bad cases make bad law, especially for the executive branch. Right. But they seem to not care. And I think that is the scary part because it does evince a predisposition to disregarding as we're seeing it happen right now.

Bad cases make bad law, especially for the executive branch. Right. But they seem to not care. And I think that is the scary part because it does evince a predisposition to disregarding as we're seeing it happen right now.

I think this is just a consolidation of power. This is arrogating authorities from Congress, which, as I mentioned before, it's already kind of ceding on its own, and now arrogating powers from the judiciary. I mean, effectively what... the Trump administration is doing is actually acting as a quasi-judiciary, right? They're rounding up people and effectively being judge, jury, and executioner.

I think this is just a consolidation of power. This is arrogating authorities from Congress, which, as I mentioned before, it's already kind of ceding on its own, and now arrogating powers from the judiciary. I mean, effectively what... the Trump administration is doing is actually acting as a quasi-judiciary, right? They're rounding up people and effectively being judge, jury, and executioner.

And they're just saying, look, trust us. We've decided that this person is guilty, that this person is a terrorist, that this person violated the law. So it's a consolidation of power. It's an authoritarian move. And I think the challenge is who's going to stop us? And if they do it fast enough and they can get people into this constitutional black hole, then they win.

And they're just saying, look, trust us. We've decided that this person is guilty, that this person is a terrorist, that this person violated the law. So it's a consolidation of power. It's an authoritarian move. And I think the challenge is who's going to stop us? And if they do it fast enough and they can get people into this constitutional black hole, then they win.

I think the power to stop this in any systemic way is with Congress. So the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I mean, this is, you know, this is a delegation of Congress's war powers. They can... What is that act?

I think the power to stop this in any systemic way is with Congress. So the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I mean, this is, you know, this is a delegation of Congress's war powers. They can... What is that act?

Yeah. The Alien Enemies Act was passed in 1798 during the Quasi-War with France. And it allows the president during a declared war or an invasion by a foreign government... to remove alien enemies of the nation that is the enemy that are 14 years or older and basically remove them. And the idea being that in that kind of situation that people hold their allegiance to their country.

Yeah. The Alien Enemies Act was passed in 1798 during the Quasi-War with France. And it allows the president during a declared war or an invasion by a foreign government... to remove alien enemies of the nation that is the enemy that are 14 years or older and basically remove them. And the idea being that in that kind of situation that people hold their allegiance to their country.

And so there could be people who are spies and saboteurs and in order to protect national security, the executive branch needs to have the ability to very quickly remove people. It has only been invoked three times before this year, in the War of 1812, in World War I and World War II.

And so there could be people who are spies and saboteurs and in order to protect national security, the executive branch needs to have the ability to very quickly remove people. It has only been invoked three times before this year, in the War of 1812, in World War I and World War II.

In those contexts, in World War II, for example, people got individualized hearings, at least to determine whether they were, in fact, nationals of the country that was the enemy. But it's now being applied in this immigration context. Trump is claiming that illegal immigration constitutes an invasion, and specifically an invasion by Tren de Aragua. And therefore...

In those contexts, in World War II, for example, people got individualized hearings, at least to determine whether they were, in fact, nationals of the country that was the enemy. But it's now being applied in this immigration context. Trump is claiming that illegal immigration constitutes an invasion, and specifically an invasion by Tren de Aragua. And therefore...

Men 14 years or older who are members of that group fall under the purview of the Alien Enemies Act and can be removed.

Men 14 years or older who are members of that group fall under the purview of the Alien Enemies Act and can be removed.

Well, I think the latter, though I think right now they're testing it on this one group because it's something that... Most people wouldn't object to, right? There's gangs coming in. They're dangerous gangs. I mean, Trendaragua is an actual gang. It's a dangerous gang. So is MS-13. Let's apply this war framing here.

Well, I think the latter, though I think right now they're testing it on this one group because it's something that... Most people wouldn't object to, right? There's gangs coming in. They're dangerous gangs. I mean, Trendaragua is an actual gang. It's a dangerous gang. So is MS-13. Let's apply this war framing here.

And I think the idea is let's see how much we can get away with and then we can push the envelope and keep expanding this group into broader and broader groups. And we've already heard Trump discussing with President Bukele yesterday that, hey, why not include homegrown criminals in this whole thing? So I think that this is... kind of testing the waters to see how they can do it.

And I think the idea is let's see how much we can get away with and then we can push the envelope and keep expanding this group into broader and broader groups. And we've already heard Trump discussing with President Bukele yesterday that, hey, why not include homegrown criminals in this whole thing? So I think that this is... kind of testing the waters to see how they can do it.